Ziabach's worst enemy!
by Sephron
Summary: A girl named Tora lives on a farm with her dad, brothers, and sisters. When her swords master is killed Tora finds out Ziabach is behind the murder, and uses her skill to get back at them. But while she's sneaking around she finds things she didn't want
1. Default Chapter

Zibach's worst enemy!  
  
I walked through the dark night to meet my master. Well, it's not like I was a slave or anything, my swords master I mean. I was only 10, and a women, but my master saw that when I had played with a sword, that I already had great skill, considering I was only 6 at the time and fooling around.   
Being a women, if anyone ever found out about my secret classes and training's, I could be hanged or sentenced to death some other way. I shuddered as I snuck in between two buildings to avoid being seen by the guards that walked the streets. Like I said, I could die and that would be that. Although I was an important farmer for our village, even if I was only ten, I was still very important to the food of this place.  
Here, let me back up a bit, My name's Tora, I live with my dad, three sisters and four brothers. We have to have a big family for what we do. We're farmers, and we sell the most food's in our village, that's why I say that I'm so important. No, obviously I'm not a princess or anything, I'm furthest from that. But besides my dad I do the most work in our house. Because of that I'm very strong, and I love sports.   
First there are my brothers, who helped make me as tough as I am. There's Jake, he's the oldest and has a day job but still helps around when he's not to tired and has the time. Then there's Janus, I know it sounds girly and all, but he's the most "buff" of our family. He does most of the transporting of the vegetables and such. And then of course I could never forget Joe, he's really quiet and all, but he's got really good looks, and is good at sports, I go running with him a lot now. I didn't used to, but now I have a reason. Most of the girls go after Joe, not the others. And then one no one could forget, Matt. Even his name helps to explain who he is. He's also pretty strong, and he doesn't let anyone think that he's hurt or needs help. Since I hang around him the most I act a whole lot like him.   
Then my sisters, Shcala, she's the best at getting and giving advice. And she does the most bossing around. Basically she's like the one you hated for everything, but you love for being able to talk to her. Then Ayla, She's a total prep. Every five minutes she has to make sure her hair is okay and she only works for five hours a day, when the rest of us work twelve. Daddy doesn't yell at her though, he understands why she likes her looks so much. She's like the female version of Joe, only she doesn't do stuff. It gets really annoying..... And of course, the one and only Marel, she's really really quiet, and she's the best to just go and talk to, if you just wanna spill something out.   
And of course, me. I'm kinda sneaky, and I never let anyone know what I'm feeling or thinking, most of the time. I don't show any pain, and I don't show emotion, unless I laugh. Like I said, I'm a lot like Matt.   
So as I slip down the shadows and quietly open the door to the training grounds. I looked in to see my master calmly sharpening his sword and tilting it so that the candle light made it shine.   
"Sorry master, With all the guards and the towns paranoia from Zibach, I had trouble getting here," I said taking a seat next to him.   
"Forgiven," he said, and placed the sword down and looked at me. "This lesson has to be shorter, I have some business to take care of...." he said, and looked at me. I could tell he was keeping something, but I wasn't about to question him. I knew that something was wrong, but I wasn't about to ask.   
"Master, how much longer until I'm done with my training?" I asked, and he looked at me and smiled.  
"Only about a week's more training," He said, and then looked back at the sword. I nodded and then looked down.   
  
***  
  
The next day I forced myself up the next day. It was sunday, and supposed to be a rest day. My eyes opened as I heard someone banging on my door.  
"Tora! Tora wake up!" I heard Matt yelling though my door. "Come on! Hurry up! Somethings happened!" He shouted.  
"What?" I asked, tossing off my covers.  
"Someone was murdered!" He said.   
"Someone what?!" I asked, pulling on my clothes for the day.  
"Hurry up!" He shouted, and I opened my door, still pulling on my shoes. "Come on!" He said, and lead the way out of the house and over to the front of the warrior school. I gasped and forced myself to the front of the crowed, and ignored Matt's voice calling me to come back and asking where I was going.  
"Who is it?!" I asked as I broke through the last front line of people in the crowed. People looked at me surprised that I might be worried so much.   
"Master Magus," One of the solders said. I narrowed my eyes.  
"Who did it?" I asked, trying not to look or sound so suspicious. I knew what Master was doing last night now that I knew he was dead. He was challenging someone, and they must have been very good with the sword, to be able to defeat our towns best swords master.   
"Zibach," He said, looking at our masters body. I clenched my fists and I swore, from now on, I was going to use my skill, to help destroy Zibach. I had never liked it to begin with. Because of it we couldn't have all the food that everyone needed. Yeah, we have people with no food too. But, I was going to kill whoever murdered my master....  
  
***  
  
4 years later....  
  
I ran through the darkness of the night, I was barley able to see my arms and legs, partly because I was dressed in all black, and partly because I was searching the sky for the Zibach floating fortress.   
Like I had promised, I was going to use my skills to help to destroy Zibach. That's what I was doing. Every time I could, almost every night I was able to sneak out and invade Zibach, I was kinda like a spy. Dressed in all black, with training from a swords master. I could barley hear my feet as they hit the ground.   
I was wearing a tight black shirt, with long sleeves and tight black plants. I had gloves too, black ones of course, so that I wouldn't leave any finger prints all over the Zibach empire. They only covered up to my wrists, and the sleeves covered the tips. My dirty colored blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a black hair tie. It was sticking through a hole in my mask. It covered my whole head and only exposed the skin around my eyes. I had my sword tied to my back in it's sheath, and I had a bag on my back, covering my sword. In it I had some rocks, and other things that I could use. Like a dagger, just in case my sword got lost somehow or something. It wasn't like they had holes for my eyes, there was a slit that I looked through.   
I gripped a branch from a tree underneath the Zibach floating fortress, and flipped myself up. I had been running for four years, ever since I knew how I was helping my town and hurting Zibach. I had almost gotten cought the first time that I tried to hurt Zibach.   
I tossed a rope with a little hook thing on it up to Zibach. farming had always helped my strength, but now that I was running and always climbing ropes I was a whole lot stronger. I hauled my body up the rope and slowly made my way to the Zibach Floating Fortress. But fast enough so that they wouldn't be able to see me.   
They knew that someone had been spoiling their plans, and because of that they had installed camera's all over the place, I was going to have to take them out before exploring and trying to find out where they were and what they were talking about.  
I climbed to a pole on the base of Zibach, I forced open a shoot that they had and climbed in. I looked around a little, before I walked into the actual Zibach. Seeing a camera, I reached back and picked up a stone, and tossed it at the camera. It broke the leans and I bolted. They would be there soon, knowing that one of the camera's had been broken.   
I quietly moved through the passages and made my way over to a room, not having any trouble so far. I pressed my ear against the door and hear soft muffling noises. When I hear "Terres" I opened my mouth and gasped silently. Terres is the name of my town. I looked around and spotted a vent, I walked over quietly and and took off my knapsack. I dug through it till I saw the dagger. It was the next best thing to a screw driver.   
I took it out and placed the blade against the screws. I turned it quickly not knowing how much more time it was before the soldiers came looking for whoever broke the camera.   
I moved the vent away quietly, and jumped into it, moving things out of the way and making my way to the vent over the room.  
"I'm telling you Strategies, the best place to get food and supplies is Terres, they're weak, now that their swords master is gone. Stupid old man, he deserved what was coming to him," I heard someone saying. I clenched my fists to stop myself from dropping down there and beating up whoever said that about my teacher. I shook my head, I learned what I had to, and I was about to go, but then I heard someone else saying something about my master.  
"I still don't see why you killed him Dilandau," He said. Dilandau, so that was the guys name. I gripped my fists again before turning around. As I moved through the vent's silently I heard some more..... not so graceful people. I heard a "cluck" and someone talking about how his sword had hit the vent and they were trying to sneak up on the spy who had entered the fortress. Knowing that it was me, I turned around and started back over to where I had recently been hiding. I stopped to look through the vents to see if anyone was there. I didn't see anyone, and when I started moving I heard a crash and then something gripping my ankle.  
"Ah!" I yelled as it pulled me down and I landed hard on the floor of the room I had just been spying into. I looked up and saw Dilandau and the other man he had been talking to.   
"So, what now Folkin-sama?" One of them asked. I guessed that he was Dilandau. He had silvery colored hair, and was wearing black armor with some red lining. He looked like he was pretty strong and I glanced over at his belt and saw a sword.  
"Pull off the mask, I want to see who our devious little sneak is," He said. I stood up and looked around for a way out. I was thankful for my mask, now, I could get away and they wouldn't know who I was. Dilandau started walking towards me and I backed up to the wall. He chuckled and was suddenly right there. I pulled out my sword and it clashed with his.   
"Well well, looks like someone's not going down without a fight," he said aloud for Folken to hear. Then whispered to me," I commend you for the effort that you put into this, but you're never doing it again," he said, and shoved me up against the wall.   
"I'm never going to stop, you didn't even realize the first dozen trips I made here that something was wrong," I said, and shoved him away. While he stumbled back I kick him in the jaw, put my sword back, and bolted for the door. It opened as I was running to it, and some other boys were standing in my way, they were wearing basically the same armor as Dilandau, only instead of having red lining they had blue.   
I jumped up over then with some difficulty, but most of then ducked, so it wasn't as hard as it would have been originally. I made my way back to the shoot and the rope, all the while hearing people calling for me to halt and stop and so on.   
I jumped down the shoot and was flung out, as soon as I saw the rope I gripped for it, and slid down about 20 feet. My hands were burning and I was very very glad to have the gloves on that I did. That was the other reason I had them. I gripped the rope tighter and stopped slipping after a little while. I was finally able to drop down onto a tree's branch and get into the ground.  
"That one was closer then I would have liked," I said, starting to run to tell the town about what I had discovered. Originally I wouldn't have worried about it. But, this is Zibach, they would take any food that they could carry. And considering their army is bigger then our town, they could take every scrap of food that we own!   
I ran through the darkness and came to our house, I jumped up and climbed into the tree next to my room's window, and climbed in. I had to change out of my all black clothes before I talked to anyone, they would suspect me.   
As soon as I was changed, I ran into my fathers room and woke him up.  
"Dad! Dad! Wake up!" I shouted.   
He shook and mumbled," Go back to sleep Tora...."   
"Dad! It's important! Come on wake up!" I yelled, shaking him.  
"okay okay, what is it?" He asked, sitting up.  
"Zibach is planning to come to the town to get weapons and food! We wont have anything left! They're going to take it all! And the Zibach commander is the one who killed our town's sword master." I said, a little more calm now that I had gotten it all out. My dad jerked up and ran to the closet.  
"We have to warn everyone, Zibach is too big, we'll starve!" He said, changing into his clothes. "Go wake all the others!" he said, pulling on a shirt.  
"Right!" I said, and ran out to wake the others.   
  
***  
  
We were hiding the food the next day when they came. Zibach, storming through our town, troops and all. Dilandau was telling them not to touch any of the food until they had talked with the mare. I stood, holding a basket of apples and oranges. Luckily I was on the side of the rode, everyone looked to the ground when they passed, but I stud glaring at Dilandau.  
He looked at me, and his eyes flickered, it took some time before I was able to look down, like was proper. As he walked passed me I felt like sticking out out my foot to make him trip, but I didn't, it might make him suspect something.   
As soon as they walked into the mare's office everyone started bustling around and looking for places to hide the food. They came out about 5 minutes later. I didn't know what they did to make the mare say "yes" but they did.   
They came, knocking some people over and just grabbing food from here or there. We had only stored about a 4th of what we needed! They walked, as if nothing was wrong, and that they could do anything they wanted. But, I wasn't going to let them. I sat my food down and ran to the church. I knew everyone here was going to need protection, only three of the warriors had stayed and not gone off to other town's.   
Once I was in my all black clothes, I climbed up the rough surface of the church and hauled myself up onto the roof. I looked down onto the town and watched as Dilandau and his dragon slayers pushed people down and trampled over some food that they didn't want. I was boiling in side, and jumped onto a tree that was close enough to the church roof. I silently climbed down and ran over to the town, or to where all the people in the town where.   
When Dilandau pushed down a little girl who couldn't move fast enough to get out of his way, I felt like socking him in the jaw. And I would too. It made me so mad to see that little girl crying and them not caring.   
But when he grabbed my sister Marel.... ohh, I got boiling mad. I came from no where, the heal of my foot met hard with his cheek bone and he stumbled back. I looked back at her and tilted my head for her to go. She bowed with respect and went running. I looked back at Dilandau who was just now straightening up. I knew I was running an awful risk, showing myself to the town the way I was, I knew that if they found out that it was me, I might get killed. But, I wasn't about to let some slime ball like Dilandau touch my little sister.   
"You're not supposed to touch a lady without her permission," I said, getting into my fighting stance. He laughed and pulled out his sword.   
"I never thought that you'd show your face again, now that you'd been caught in the Zibach empire," He said, and I pulled out my sword. I hadn't realized that the towns people had made a circle around us, the Dragon Slayers on one side, and my people on the other.   
When Dilandau attacked I blocked it with ease. He brought his sword up over my head as if to chop it in two. I brought my sword up vertically and blocked him. It was harder though, he was much stronger and a couple inches taller then I was.   
"Agh," I said, pushing him back. The pressure he was putting on my arms was enormous. It hurt and I wouldn't have been able to hold it for too much longer. he chuckled.  
"I'm surprised at your strength. But, who taught you? You're swords master has been dead for four years, so, how did you learn?" he asked. I shook my head and charged at him.  
he just barley blocked my sword and I was so close to him that our eye lashes almost touched. "He taught me," I said, and pushed him back. He looked at me in shock.   
"But, you're a better fighter then he was, how?" he asked, and while he was still stunned, I charged again. This time he only had time to jump out of the way. I swung my sword and cut his leg. I heard a gasp come from the Dragon Slayers, before they all came running at me, their swords drawn.   
"Ah see now you're not playing fair!" I yelled, blocking a couple swords and then cutting some of their clothing. Mostly shirts and the baggy part of their pants. I fought like that for what must have been ten minutes.   
"Stop," I heard someone whispering behind me, and before I had time to turn around, something cold was against my neck. The dragon Slayers were all watching, and I knew the one behind me was Dilandau. He was the only one missing. And he was the only one they would listen to like that.   
I looked around and all the Dragon Slayers were panting more so then I was. Even though I had fought all of them, they had only fought one me. As I looked around I saw that some of them were bleeding. I must have gotten them when I was turning around to fight the people charging me from behind.   
"Well, little girl," He said, gripping the wrist with my sword. "Hand over your sword, and I might considering letting you live," he said.  
I couldn't help but laugh," Letting me live? If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who's bleeding baka (Idot)," I said. He pressed the sword closer to my neck, and kicked the sword out of my hand.   
"You're amusing..." he said. "Gatti, Shesta," he called, and two of the dragon slayers stepped forward. "Should we show the town who you are?" he asked, removing his hand from my wrist and bringing it to my mask.   
"Don't," I said, and he smiled.  
"Why not?" He asked.   
"Just don't," I said. He chuckled and brought his hand away from my mask.  
"Gatti, Shesta, knock this incompetent little girl out, we'll take her back to Zibach," He said, and gripped my wrist again, twisting it behind my back, and pulling his sword away from my neck.   
As soon as I was out of harms way with his sword, my legs licked up and knocked the two who were coming at me back and made them fall back. As soon as my feet touched the ground they flew up again and I was about to smack Dilandau in the head, but his hand shot up and caught my foot.  
"Not willing to give up? That's too bad," he said, and released my foot, only to have his elbow smack me in the side of the head. I looked up and saw my dad, before I blacked out....  
  
  
Dun dun dun! Okay, yeah, I got this idea, so I don't need any suggestions or anything. but thanx to everyone who was going to send me one! Okay, I'm writing again, if you like it so far please please please let me know! Oh, and of course this is a *Tora*Dilly* fan fic! Duh! It's the the only one I write for!  
And Escafreak, Krazykitty and all you other peeps, thanks for your contuse support!  
  
-Tora-  



	2. Ziabach's worst enemy part 2

Zaibach's Worst Enemy 2!  
  
I woke up on a bed. That's the scary thing, it was a bed, like, a good one, not a hard wood one. But, the bad thing was, My wrists and ankles were bound together with a thin yet strong piece of rope. They tied my hands and feet together so tight that when I tried to pull them apart they scraped my skin and.... hmm.... how can I explain it? It stung, but I didn't start bleeding. I scowled and decided to worry about it after I had gotten an idea, an escape plan.   
I looked up and examined the room I was in. I had seen it the night before. The one with Dilandau and Folken, when they were talking about getting their food from us. The room wasn't lit very much, and was rather dark. There were no windows, and when I looked a the door I saw a key pad, obviously there was a code needed. And they obviously didn't want me getting out. I groaned, and then I remembered my mask. My hands flew up to my face, and I was happy to find it was still there. But, that didn't mean that he hadn't taken it off while I was out.   
"How am I supposed to get out of here?" I asked, looking around the room for camera's and maybe something I could use to get out of the Zaibach empire.   
"You're not," Dilandau cooed from the shadows stepping forward into the light, or as much light as he could. I glared.  
"You," I said, and jumped off the bed. He smiled evily and looked at me. "What's wrong? You have to have me tied up while I'm awake? Am I too much of a threat to have loose?" I asked, mocking him.   
"Yes," he said simply. "You know this place just as well as I do, if you were to get out, you could do too much damage, provided we didn't catch you in time," he said, and walked over to me. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to. My feet and hands were still bound, but not for too long.   
"What are you doing?" I asked, as he bent down by my legs and took out his sword. I didn't have to wait for the answer, I heard the ropes cutting and my legs had more space, they weren't weren't as crushed.   
"That answer your question?" He asked, as he stud up and put the sword to my hands "You know..... it would be a whole lot easier to just kill you now, while you're helpless," he said, and turned my hand over, wrist up.   
"But where's the honor in that? Killing someone while they have nothing to fight with? And I'm a women no less," I said, looking right at him with my strong yet rather mysterious eyes. He looked at me and took a step forward, I wasn't surprised, everyone I looked at like that moved closer. Everyone except the girls of course. For some reason, only the guys were effected by them. Like I had some kind of mind control on them or something.   
"You're right, there is no honor, besides, I want to see the shock on your face when I pull off that mask of yours, hm," he said, and put a hand on my mask. I jerked my head away and sent my foot flying in the air to kick him in the back of the neck. But, it was like he knew that I was going to do it, his hand moved and caught my foot just before it hit his neck, he didn't even seemed surprised, more like, bored. I glared at him and he dropped my foot. "Now, let's see what you really look like," he said, and moved his hand to my face again. I moved away, but he gripped my hands and pulled me a few steps forward, so that he could take it off with no problem. I struggled to pull away, and tried to kick him again, but he moved away and my foot sailed by harmlessly. He smiled and looked at me.   
"Let go!" I said, more like I was demanding, not requesting, and tried to pull my hands away again.   
"If you're going to be so difficult then I'll just make this easier," he said, and pushed me back and my knee's feel over the side of the bed and I fell onto it.   
"Hey!" I shouted, and tried to push him away with my feet, he just acted like they weren't there, and batted them away. He shoved my hand's over my head and held them there. I didn't like how this was going, he put a hand on the top of my mask and ripped it off. I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes. I was hoping he wouldn't recognize me as the girl he had seen in the market, the one who somehow caught his eye.   
"You?" he asked, and put his hand to my chin, making me look at him face to face.  
"Yeah, me, the person you'd least expect," I said, and kicked him away. "Are you going to let me go now?" I asked, sitting up.  
"Let you go? Never, not with all you know," he said, and started walking away. "This is rather interesting news, Folken told me that there was a rather attractive girl who might be of some use to Ziabach," he said. I blushed a little and then glared at him.   
"Then at least cut the ropes on my hands," I said, and held them out to him. He looked back and then turned around and started walking to the bed again. He pulled out his sword and cut my ropes easy as pie. First thing I did, check to see if my sword was there.   
"You think that we'd leave you equipped after you've done so much to hurt Ziabach?" He asked, chuckling a little.  
"Give me back my sword!" I shouted and tackled him to the ground. His sword went flying from his hand and landed across the room. "Give it back!" I shouted, punching him.  
"Yeah right!" he yelled, and rolled over, pinning me to the floor, like he hand on the bed. "Like we're going to give Ziabach's worst enemy their weapon so that they can escape," he said, and glared at me. I glared back and sent my foot flying, he let go of one of my hands and caught my foot. But as his hand wasn't pinning me to the ground I used the time to punch him again.  
"Worst enemy?" I asked, trying to make him get off.   
"Yes," he said, licking the corner of his bottom lip, and tasted the blood that had started coming out from when I had punched him. "You made me bleed," he said, and smiled wickedly. I suddenly didn't feel too comfortable.   
"So I did, what are you planing to do about it?" I asked, and looked up as strongly as I could, considering I didn't feel so strong anymore.   
"I must admit little girl, you have, an attitude," he said narrowed his eyes. I glared up at him, but the way he was looking at me with his strong, strange and yet very powerful red eyes I felt like a mouse being killed by a python.   
"I get it from listening to all you're dumb idea's on destroying the world and all that other junk. All that stuff that's not going to happen as long as I'm around to stop it."  
"That's too bad, I guess we'll have to kill you," he said, a wicked smile planted on his face. "Which is rather upsetting, you have talent," He said, and looked at me, almost like it was a warning.  
I smirked. "If you were thinking that I would join Ziabach then you're dead wrong," I said. He laughed and stud up.  
"Good thing that it's not what I was thinking then, other wise, according to you, I'm dead," He said, as I sat up.   
"Wow, you have a sense of humor?" I asked, standing. He chuckled.  
"Believe it or not," he said, and walked to the door.   
"Hey! What about my sword?" I asked, running up to him and standing in front of him and the door.   
"Are you planing to stop me?" He asked, when I didn't move he sighed. "You're weapon is as impressive as you're strength and good looks, almost as good as mine, but, I'm keeping it," He said, and pushed me against the wall, with almost no difficulty at all.   
"Hey!" I shouted, and high kicked him in the jaw before he had time to catch it. He flew back and stumbled to keep his balance.   
"You have a strong kick, but you do know that now I'm going to have to make you pay for that," he said, chuckling. He didn't even hold his jaw the way everyone else did.   
"And how is that?" I asked, now almost as confidant as I always was.   
"What are you most afraid of? I know that it's not me, and it's not death, other wise you wouldn't have come to Ziabach in the first place. So then what?" He asked, starring at me.   
"Like I would tell you," I said. I saw his eyes flicker. I smiled kind of cockily, "Is that all right with you?" I asked.   
"Fine, I'll just find out later," he said, and walked back to the door. I tried to run up to him to stop him again, but he knew what I was doing, turned, grabbed my arms, and pinned me against the door.   
"Ah," I said, I glared at him and he smiled, like I had, cockily. I glared at him. He was mocking me! "Let me go," I said, and kept looking at him.   
"No, I like it when you can't do anything," He said. "I could do whatever I wanted, and you'd just be able to sit there," he said, and then stepped closer. "I could even kiss you if I wanted," he said, and leaned in as if he was going to, and then stopped, and pulled away. "Of course I wasn't about to, not to waist it on you anyway.   
"Good, I didn't want it," I said. "If you really wanted to waist it, then you could do what you probably do all the time though, go make out with you're precious Dragon Slayers," I said, smiling evil.  
"Why you little," he said, and his grip on my arms became so tight that I had to close my eyes and bit my lip. "Just for that, I should kiss you, considering I know that's what you don't want me to do," He said, and leaned in again. "But, I don't want to," he said, and pushed me to the side like I was air. I fell onto the bed and he was out the door by the time I sat up and was going to get him again. I scowled and punched the bed.  
"Give me back my sword!" I yelled into the empty room.  
  
***  
  
I woke up, eventually after pounding on the wall and making my knuckles bleed, I had made myself tired, and stalked over to the bed.   
I looked around the room, and sat up. My eyes traveled to ever space that was rather dark. I remembered how Dilandau had hidden in the shadows. I saw a little speck of light coming out of the walls at one time, and when I looked harder I saw someone's outline.  
"You can come out, I know you're there," I said, tossing off the covers. When no one or nothing moved, I walked up to it. "Dilandau, what a surprise," I said sarcastically, turning to go back to the bed.   
"Happy to see me?" He asked, matching my tone.   
"Oh delighted," I said, mockingly. "You can do a girls voice very well, I wonder if there's a reason for that..." I said turning around to look tauntingly at him. He glared at me and I couldn't help but smile.   
"Is there a reason for you to look like a man?" He asked. I glared at him and then went to side kick him, but he caught my foot, as if it was something he did without thinking. And before I could even get within two inches of his face too. I scowled as he let go of my food and chuckled.  
"What's so funny?" I asked, turning around angrily and walking to the bed.  
"The fact that you think that I can't tell when you're going to try and kick me. That's what I think is so funny," He said, still chuckling.  
"That's not funny, that's disturbing," I said. I walked back over to the bed, and looked around. Maybe I could choke him 'till he died. Then when they came to get his dead body, I could escape.  
"It's still surprising," he had said, and as I turned to face him, I saw him looking me over.   
"What is?" I asked.  
"That you, of all people, you're the one who is the trouble maker for Ziabach. You, a women. To know that you have such a talent, it's a little scary. For all we know you could decide to train a whole fleet to help you destroy Ziabach," he said, and I smiled.  
"Nope, you don't have to worry about that with me. My revenge is for me and me alone. I don't accept help from anyone, especially not people like you. Or anyone that might want to," I said, I watched him, his expression didn't change all that much, he just raised an eyebrow in amusement.  
"Well, then you're mission is going to end up being cut short, because you're not going to see the outside of this room, ever," he said, walking up to me. I stud standing tall, and even though my head was tilted back, looking up at him, I felt as if I was looking down.   
"Why do you say it with such confidence?" I asked, glaring him down. He smiled wickedly and the grasped my arm so quickly and so tightly, my face winced before I could do anything to make it stop.  
"Because I could have killed you five times over before you even knew your heart had stopped," he said, and threw me against the wall, like I was nothing.   
As my back made an impact on the mettle, I heard it crack several times. My arm was hurting, but I stopped myself from showing any pain. I stud up tall, and waited as Dilandau approached me again.  
He gripped my arm again, and twisted it behind my back, making it hurt even more. I gritted my teeth to stop from screaming out, it hurt, and it hurt a lot.   
"Do you see my strength?" he asked.   
"Oh please, don't go talking like someone smart, totally opposite of your natural self," I said, in consequence, he pulled my arm up higher, therefor making the pain even larger.   
"You give?" he asked, like how my brother's had said so many times to each other.  
"Never, like I'm going to give into you, if I do, which I wont by the way, it's going to be because you're dead and my swords master is avenged," I said, and he pulled my arm up so high, I had to bend down so far, I could have sworn that my nose was touching my knee's. I couldn't go down any further, and he kept lifting my arm.   
Finally, I heard a "pop". I was gripping my other hand so tightly my nails started making my palm start bleeding.  
"That's what's going to happen all over your body unless you give up," He said, dropping me. I collapsed on the floor and gripped my arm. I had to get it back in the socket, it would hurt too much to keep it out of place like it was.   
"Fine then, but I'm never giving up," I said, standing. I didn't like being so much lower then his shoulders. It made me feel like I was weak. Like I had already given up.  
"You really want to see how much it's going to hurt before you will give up?" Dilandau asked, he gripped my dislocated arm and I but my lip so hard so quickly that my tooth broke the skin and blood just barley started to bleed.  
"I don't need a sample, I just want to get on and kill you," I said, he tossed me against the wall again, and then was right there in front of me.   
"You kill me?" He asked, sticking his face in mine. "If I do recall, you're the one in pain," He said, and then punched me before walking to the door.  
"If you think that my beating me, you're going to make me break, then I'm afraid that you're going to be very, very disappointed," I said, gripping my arm, lifting it in the air, and pulling on it until I heard another "pop".   
He turned around, hearing what I had said and hearing that I had fixed my arm. "I know you're not going to break easily, but believe me, you will," he said. I glared at him, and he looked at my arm. "Still hurt?" He asked.  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but no, it doesn't," I said, and of course I was lying. It was killing me, and I hoped that they hadn't had any camera's in this room. I was planing to start nursing my arm as soon as he left and try to make it feel better.   
"Really? I can fix that," he said, and started walking back over to me.   
"Like I said, beating me isn't going to make me give at all," I said, and even when he punched me, all I did was snap my head to the side so his fist sailed harmlessly by my head. "I'm not going to just stand here and let you take cheep shots at me, I have a brain," I said.  
"Could have fooled me," Dilandau said, sarcasm thick in his tone.  
"Ya know, if I recall, I'm the one who's done more damage to your country then you have to mine," I said, and then starting walking past him, over to the bed. I was tired and wanted sleep desperately.   
"I can always change that," he said, turning to me, and I swiveled around to face him. "Make terres our new enemy and set course for there, as our new target," he said, a wicked smile planted on his face.  
"It's all right when you torture me, I have no problem with it, but stay the hell away from my family and my village," I said, fully aggressive and ready to plunge a dagger or sword right through his heart.   
"Oh, have I hit something? Something that might actually be considered a weak point for the all mighty worrier or Terres?" Dilandau askes, amused by my sudden protections for a town.  
"Shut up, don't you even think about attacking my homeland," I said, narrowing my eyes in a threat. "It would just give me an even bigger reason to kill you," I said, and stalked off to the bed.  
"You still think that you can kill me?" Dilandau asked. "Even though I've hurt you so badly?"  
"You mearly scratched me, nothing can ever hurt me physically," I said, glancing up at him. Of course I'm lying, there's always something that can hurt everyone physically, but I figure, if he doesn't know that then I'm good to go. He doesn't seem very bright anyway.   
"There is always something that can hurt someone," he said. "And I plan to find out what that is, and when I do, you had better be prepared for pain, and lots of it," He said, walking to the door.  
"Nothing you do can hurt me..." I said, but he wasn't listening to what I was saying. He punched in the code and then left. I cursed silently as I gripped my arm in pain.  
It hurt to move it, and it hurt to hold it, but it was comforting. I just hoped he didn't make something that would really hurt me.   
  
Okay, I'm done! What does everyone think hmm??? please write and tell me! I don't bite! partly because I can't reach you, and partly because that's my sister's job. Anyway! Write and let me know!! Arigato!! ^_^  



	3. Zaibach's Worst Enemy!

Zaibach's worst enemy 3!  
  
Once again, I woke up looking at the dark ceiling. I was still holding my arm, and I groaned in pain, I couldn't stop myself. It felt as if Dilandau had come in and hit it a hundred more times.   
Remembering Dilandau, I sat up, hoping he wasn't in the room. Too bad for me, he was. Casually leaning against the wall, looking in my direction, his eyes were piercing, and they moved from my face to my hand clutching my arm.  
"You said it didn't hurt," He said.  
"It doesn't," I said. He smiled and I watched him carefully.  
"It's too bad you wont join us, you'd move up positions quickly, maybe even get close to mine," He said, and looked at me.  
"A monkey with flea's is close to your position," I said, standing up, no longer holding my arm. I didn't want him to think that I was crippled and didn't want to move. I didn't, but he shouldn't know that. Then he might see how much my arm was actually hurting.   
"Then you must be dirt," he said, watching how I walked over to the other side of the bed.  
"No, I'm a tiger," I said. He cocked an eyebrow at my comment. "Aren't you supposed to be looking around for something? Like, I don't know, maybe a brain?" I asked.  
"I see one that looks mighty tasty right now. But even if I did take it, you wouldn't look any different," he said. I laughed.  
"Hey, you were the one that said I good looks before," I said. I wasn't looking at him anymore, now I was paying attention to the key pad on the door. If I could find out the code, I could escape. And then, I could wait until my arm got better, and train, getting even stronger with my sword. Then I'd really hit them!   
"That was before you had been crying in your sleep," He said, and smiled wickedly. I glared at him.  
"I never cry," I said, but touched the skin around my eyes to be sure that I wasn't.  
"Sure sounded and looked like it. Actually, you weren't really making any noise, but there were sure tears, it almost made me want to be nice, and then I remembered it was you," he said, and laughed at his own pathetic joke.  
"It's odd though, your eyes just got a little brighter and your cheek's flushed. It's surprising how those two things can change your appearance so much," he said. I looked at him, looking to see why he kept up with the fact that I had been crying.   
"I wasn't crying, I know I wasn't," I said, mater of factually. I didn't care what he said, I was almost positive that I had never cried just because my arm hurt.   
"What would you do? If I hit your arm, right on the tender part? Right where I know it would hurt you the most?" He asked, walking over. I stood strong and looked at him.  
"Nothing, because you wouldn't get the chance," I said, and jumped back, hitting his chin on my flipping.  
"Very gymnastics aren't you?" he asked, whipping some blood starting to come from his mouth. I watched at he started walking away, and as he said, "But running away wont do you any good."  
"Running away?" I asked, not surprised, but, more like..... like, how dare he think such a thing, or something.  
"Yes, that's what you just did, looks like your master wasn't able to teach you the importance of standing your ground, but then again people can't teach what they don't know," He said, and smiled evilly at me.  
"Shut up, at least he had courage, and he didn't run away!" I yelled. I wasn't about to let him talk badly about my swords master the way he was. Dilandau was no match for him. I know there was something else about what was going on. I know that he had someone sneak up on him. My master would never bow to such an easy opponent.  
"Oh really? Then how was it that my sword ended up in his back?" He asked. I glared at him. "Would you like to hear the details? We were fighting," He started.  
"Shut up! I don't want to hear your pathetic story! I don't care what you say!" I screamed, covering my ears. I didn't want to hear how my master died. I didn't want to hear about how blood spilled from his mouth, or how his eyes became wide as he realized that he was going to die. I didn't want to hear any of it, not now, not ever.  
"After he saw that he couldn't win, he started to turn and run, and that's when I stabbed my sword through his back, coming out his chest and running though his heart," He said.   
"Stop!" I screamed. "I don't want to hear it!" I didn't, I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to hear him scream. I didn't want to hear Dilandau. I had my ways, I could deal with the pain of knowing my master was gone. Wasn't that enough? Why did he have to make it so much worst?   
Dilandau laughed. "Don't want to have to picture it?" He asked, his voice cruel and hard.  
"Just.... just shut up!" I yelled desperately. Even with my hands over my ears I couldn't make his voice stop echoing though my mind. It bounced off my skull and kept ringing though my ears. As if he was a broken record or something.  
While I was looking down and not watching him, he had moved up, right next to me. Grabbing my hurt arm, he shoved me against the wall. I was still sitting, but he had his hands on my arms and my torso planted against the wall.  
"Ah!" I said, before I could stop my own mouth. The speed of how he grabbed my arm and pressed me to the wall made my arm hurt a lot.  
"Doesn't hurt huh?" He asked. I glared up at him and he laughed. "What would you do? I can talk as badly as I want, I could do whatever I want, and you wouldn't be able to stop me," He said. I glared at him, I knew he was right, he could just start cutting up my arms and legs and I wouldn't be able to stop him from doing it.  
"Should I care? So long as you're not slashing my skin or something that I don't have to worry about it," I said. "And since you need me for something, I don't think that you'd do it," I said, my tone confidant.  
My eyes must have shown that the way I sounded wasn't really the way I felt. The pressure he was exerting on my arm against the wall was really hurting my arm. Although my face looked relaxed, my eyes were tentative and alert. Not wanting him to even be touching me.  
"Oh really? What would I need or want you for?" He asked, his tone growing more and more strong with each word he said.  
"You tell me, they're your plans," I said. Maybe I could somehow trick him into letting me know something. Although he didn't look all that smart, you should never underestimate your enemies. It might cost you your life.  
His eyes staider deep into mine, and before I knew what was happening, he was hauling me off the ground.  
"What?!" I asked as his grip around my arms tightened.  
"Folken-sama want to see you," He said.  
"let me go!" I screamed, desperately wanted to have his hands leave my arms and to run away. To the safety of my Village, if I still had one that is.  
"No," He said simply.  
"I'll go if you tell me what happened to my family and the village..." I said, considering what I had just bargained to.  
"Nothing, we get most of our food from you, your village is vital to the survival of Zaibach," He said, and started pulling me along.  
"Let me go!" I screamed again, trying to pull away.  
"Listen, either I could just keep pulling you along like this, or I could knock you out and make you shut up, which one do you think I'm going to use?" he asked, and as soon as he finished, his elbow smacked me right in my temple.  
I could feel my limp body being lifted off the ground with ease, and having one arm under my back, the other under my legs. I felt as if his eyes were burning into my face, I knew he was looking at me, and what could I do? I felt like a rag doll. My arms and legs limp, as if he could twist me into a knot if he wanted.  
"Uhh," I moaned as I felt him start walking. My head was dazed, and all I could focus on right now was making him stop walking, make him stop taking me to Folken. "Put me down.... " I started, and he stopped walking, I opened my eyes and looked at him. he seemed surprised that I was still awake.  
"No, you wouldn't come, so I made it easier," He said, and started walking again. With what strength I had, I smacked him in the nose, making his arm realized his grip on my legs and have them fall to the ground so he could hold his nose.  
I started trying to run, but he still had his grip around my waist, I wasn't going anywhere.  
"Well, it seems that even when you're dazed you're still not willing to cooperate," he looked down at me and I looked up at him as strong as I could. His grip around my waist tightened, and his arm tensed up.  
"Duh, I'm not here because I gave up," I said, and tried to push him away, but it was a feeble attempt. I didn't have my strength back.  
"You think that's going to do anything?" He asked, and his fingers tightened.  
"Uhhhh, just let me go..." I said, my head going down and my forehead hitting his chest, resting there.   
"And let you fall? Nah, then I'd have to pick you up and use more energy," he said.   
"Goes to show how weak you are..." I said.   
"I wouldn't be talking right about now, little girl," He said, and started to go to grab my legs again, but I stepped back, as much as I could anyway. But, without having his arm so tight around my waist, my legs buckled, I collapsed, and Dilandau's grip was the only thing holding me up. "Now come on," he said, and picked me up again.  
"Leave me alone...." I said with as much strength as I could muster. Dilandau didn't reply, just walked calmly down the hall. I listened to the rhythmic beating of his feet against the hard mettle floor.   
"Here we are," He said, and set my feet down, but as soon as he let go of my waist, my knee's gave away.  
"Ugh," I said, as pain shot through my legs from the presser being applied to them from the cold floor.  
"Get up," He said, and grabbed my arm, and hoisted me up.  
"Let me go," I murmured.  
"You've said that a repeated amount of times and I never have, and I'm not going to, so just stop," He said, punching in a code to a keypad and the door slided open. (Kinda like how they did in star track)  
I shook my head to help clear it, and things became less fuzzy, Slowly, I looked around the room. There was a bed, with straps to it, and a small table with several needles. There was a big light above the table, and a couple masks on the desk with the needles.  
"Come on," Dilandau said, as he started leading me over to the bed with the binds on it.  
"Oh no you don't!!" I yelled, most of my strength back, I quickly used my palm and hit him in the nose, shoving him away, I ran for the door. There was no way I was going to become their lab rat.  
"Hey! Get back here!" He called, and ran after me. I slammed into the door, randomly pushing buttons on the keypad, I tried to recall what he had punched in for the code. Finally remembering, I hit in the numbers and the door slid open. I was about to bolt, when Dilandau's arms wrapped around my waist, and stopped me from going anywhere.  
"I don't think so," He said, and pulled me away from the door. I high kicked him and him in the head, making him stumble back and let me go, and ran, I sprinted actually, and hoped that he wouldn't be able to catch me.  
Cutting corners and trying to find out where I was, I remembered from the last time that I'd been here when I was. I scanned the ground for where the opening was, finally finding it, I ran for it, and saw it opening.   
Diving through it, I saw how far from the ground I was, and though maybe that wasn't such a good idea, but it was too late, I was already falling.   
"Damn!" I could here someone say behind me. Looking back, I saw feathers, white ones, and someone's hand reached out and gabbed my waist.   
"What the hell?!" I asked, looking I saw Dilandau. "how?!?!" I asked, looking at the large wings that were sprouted from his back.  
"Zaibach advancements, they decided that the leader's should have things that no other people did," He said, and glided up, back to Zaibach.  
"No! No I'm not going back up there!" I shouted, trying to push him away.   
Dilandau laughed, " You really think that's going to do you any good?" He asked, and just to show me it did nothing, he gripped my waist tighter and pulled me closer to him.  
I glared at him, and he laughed again. "Didn't like that huh? Too bad," He said, and wrapped his other arm around me.  
"Let me go," I demanded, and he looked at me.  
"No," He said simply. I reached out and grabbed one of his wings, I yanked down on it, and he shouted.  
"Hey! Don't do that!" He yelled, and we started falling. "We'll crash!"   
"That's better then having you do experiments on me!" I yelled, and did it again.   
He punched me in the stomach, and the wind was forced from my lungs, I fell limp, and he put one arm under my legs.   
I tried taking a breath, but it was like my lungs had collapsed, they wouldn't take any air. I kept trying desperately, I didn't want to go back to Zaibach, he was going to get tired soon, when I pulled on his wing, we started falling, and now we were much further from Zaibach then we were originally, so now he had to work harder.  
Finally my lungs started accepting oxygen again, and I could breath.  
"Scared ya didn't I?" He asked, not looking at me. I elbowed him in the side of the head, and he lost his trail, wavering, his wings stopped moving, and we started falling a little, before he recovered and started flying upwards again.  
"Don't ever do that," he said, glaring at me.  
"Oh, poor baby, are you afraid that we're going to fall and die?" I asked, a sarcastic sympathetic tone in my voice.  
"I'm afraid you'll get away and then I'd get into trouble," He said. "but then again, some acceptations can be made," He said, loosening his grip on me.  
"Huh?" I asked, he had just been trying to save me, and to now be trying to kill me made almost no sense.  
"I don't like you, you're annoying and a trouble maker, I could just let you go, and watch you fall. That could be enough excitement for me, and I'd never have to worry about you attacking or destroying Zaibach again."  
"Huh, chances are that the fall wouldn't kill me, I'd be saved. Maybe not by you, but I would. Well, hopefully not by you. And then I'd come back and hit Zaibach harder then before, and hopefully kill you," Tora said, sticking out her tongue quickly and pulling it back in her mouth. "After all, you're a guy, you never think about strategy, you just like to kill, especially you."  
"Huh, I wonder if you'd land on your head and break your neck if I let you go," He said, letting one of his arms fall, so he was only holding her with the one. Tora looked around, as if searching for something she might be able to grab onto if be actually did let her fall.  
"I wonder if your blood would spill out all over the ground," He said, and Tora watched as the ground below her slid away.  
"I wonder if you'd actually have to guts to do it," She said.  
Dilandau laughed. "You don't have to wonder anymore," He said, and let his arm drop from around her waist. Tora started falling immediately.  
"Wah!!" She screamed on her way down. She wasn't expecting him to let her fall at such a great hight. She could hear Dilandau laughing, and she tumbled through the air.  
She caught sight of the ground that was rushing up at her, increasingly fast, she hoped that he would come and get her. Or that she would land in a river of some sort, but no stream or body of water lay under her. Just solid ground that could easily split her skull when she came in   
contact with it.   



	4. Zaibach's Worst Enemy Part 4

Ziabach's Worst Enemy!  
Part 4  
  
I closed my eyes and prayed there wouldn't be any pain, that there wouldn't be a loud sickening crack of my skull breaking open.   
But, before I hit the ground, more arms, they grabbed my hand and dislocated my arm, but stopped me from plunging to my death.  
Surprised I looked to see who had just save my life. I saw a boy, with raven - feathered black hair, that had some spickes in it. He had tan pants and brown boots to match.  
"What on earth.... let me go!" I screamed. Dilandau had said that he got wings because of Ziabach advancements, this guy had wings too, the only thing I could think of was that he was from Ziabach too, and that ment that he would end up taking me back to Dilandau, where I would become their lab rat, just like I didn't want.  
I gripped their wrist with my free hand, and tried to pull their grip off of my hand.  
"What, are you crazy women?!" They asked, and set me on the ground.  
"I wont let you take me back to Zaibach!" I screamed, and tai - kicked them as soon as I had me footing. My heal smacked right into their side.   
"Take you back to Ziabach?!" They asked, collapsing on the ground while holding their stomach. "Why would I?!" He asked, coughing.  
"You have wings, just like Dilandau does, anyone with wings is part of their force," I said, pointing to the white mysteries coming from their back.  
"Look, I don't know who you are, all I know is that you were falling under the Ziabach floating fortress, and that you were a women, so, I saved you.  
I stopped and looked at them. He was right, he had saved me, and in return, I made him feel sick. "Oh, you did, didn't you?" I asked, walking over to him, and helped him stand up. "Gosh, I'm sorry, you're not from Ziabach, are you?" I asked.  
"No, I'm the exact opposite. I fight against Ziabach, and one day hope to kill them," He said, rubbing his stomach.   
I laughed. "Well, if you can't handle getting kicked, maybe you should train a little more. But anyway, I'm Tora, I come from Teress," I said, sticking out my hand.  
He looked at me in surprised. "You're Tora?" He asked.  
"Uh hu, that's right. Something wrong?" I asked.  
"No, it's just, never mind, I'm Van, from Finalia," He said, and shook my hand.  
"Didn't kick you too hard did I?" I asked. AS far as he knew I was just a city girl who had no protection. He didn't know I was the most swat after girl, or human even, from Ziabach. He had no idea I could probably kill everyone in his village, but then again, didn't he have Balgis? Well, He would end up killing me, but I would probably kill this Van guy, so it didn't really matter.  
"Yell, just a little," He said, holding his side a little longer and then finally letting it go.  
"Good. So, is that it? You saved me, and now you leave me alone?" I asked hopefully. Actually, there was a problem, Ziabach still had my sword and my weapons. I had nothing accept my own training and experience with people. Not something I would want to go on being alone in the forest.  
"Not at all, you're a lady, you need an escort, don't you?" He asked.   
"Well, I'm a farm girl, so I'm not really a push over, but some company would be nice," I said. I might have given too much away, he might suspect that I was really strong.  
"Well, you can sure kick well for just being a farm girl."  
I looked around before saying: "My brother taught me the usual self defense, just in case anyone tried anything."  
"Huh, well, that's good. What were you doing falling from Ziabach?" He asked.  
"Oh well, when they came to my town I didn't really want them to take my food, you know, we kneed it more then they do. And Dilandau didn't really like that, so 'clang!'. They locked me up. I was able to get away by playing the harmless little wimp. I don't think they'll fall for it twice."  
I couldn't really tell him what happened, just because he saved me. I still didn't know if he was someone from Ziabach. Even though he said he wasn't, I could never ever trust anyone like him. He still hadn't explained how he could fly, like Dilandau.  
"Well, it takes someone with a lot of courage to be able to escapee from Ziabach." He said.  
"Yeah yeah. How come you have wings?" I asked.  
"Uh, family genes..." He said.  
"But the only people who ever had wings were draconian.... you're not one of them... are you?" I asked, taking a step back. It was known to everyone that The draconian had the power to make and desroy a planet. If this guy was really a part of Ziabach, and he could demolish a planet, then imagine what he could do to me!  
"My mother was, I just got some of the blood," He said, glancing down at me.  
"Well, all right. But, you're not from Ziabach?" I asked, starring at him.  
"No, I told you, I'm a rebel against them."  
"Well, how do I know that you're not just saying that so that I'll believe you? And then when I fall asleep you just take me back so that they can do experiments on me?!" I asked.  
"Sheesh! A little paranoid aren't you?" He asked. "If you don't believe me now, then you just don't know. I supposed that saying 'I swear' Would mean nothing to you. Especially because you think that I have no honor."  
"I didn't say that, I just said that I didn't know if you were lying. But you're right, even if you did say that you swore, I wouldn't believe you. Because it would be just like a Ziabach soldier to say that and then break their promise."  
"Okay, you don't have to believe me, but we should at least get moving because we have to get closer to the city before we have to make camp. And we have to make camp before it gets dark." He said. It was simple logic.   
I still didn't fully trust him. How could I? I knew almost nothing about him, accept he had pretty good looks and he was a draconian. At least that's what he said anyway. I didn't know if he was telling the truth or not, and I wouldn't until I got to know him better. Which I wasn't really sure I wanted to do. The closer I got to people, the further I ended up having to push them away so that they couldn't get hurt.  
We walked a little longer, well, a couple hours actually. We didn't say anything to the other about anything, I just kept walking and let him lead. As we walked I served the land to see if I could figure out where we were, finally deciding that I had never seen this place before, I broke the silence we had been walking in for a long time.  
"So, what city are we going to?" I asked, bending down and picking up a stick before swinging it at the air and listening to the whistling noise it made.  
"Which ever city is closest," He said, he looked back at his wings, and saw that there were only a few feathers left.  
"Oh, well that's a brilliant answer! How do you know that we're going in the right direction?!" I asked. For all I knew, he was leading me somewhere like, the desert or something. And he would kill me there.  
No, that didn't make any sense, why save me from certain death, and then kill me. He would have been able to save a lot a time that way.  
Unless he was going to try and get something out of me. See who my family members were, and then go and kill them.  
Or maybe he just did it because Dilandau dropped me, not him. Dilandau would get the credit for killing me, not Van. Maybe Van wanted a promotion, and killing the worst threat to the future of Ziabach would be the sure way to do it.  
No, but that didn't make any sense either, because Dilandau had said that he would get into trouble for killing me.   
Oh! Maybe Dilandau had told Van to become friends with me, and then kill me, because Dilandau wanted to get Van in trouble! Maybe that was it! Or... Maybe I was just paranoid... Oh well. Either way, I had to keep watching my back, I would never be able to let him sneak up behind me, if I did, I might end up like my swords master, Magus.  
"Well, I saw it when I was flying up to catch you," He said. His voice snapped me from my thoughts, about how I should stay alert and how confused I was making myself with betray from Dilandau to Van.   
"Oh whatever..." I said. Yes, that was good, make him think that you're getting tired. That you can believe whatever he says, then, if he tries to kill you tonight, you'll know the truth. You'll know if he's part of Ziabach or not, know if he's a bad guy.  
Cautiously I glanced to my left and right, then staider at the wings in front of my face. I wanted to reach out and touch them.... although they only had a few wings on them, I wanted to fell them. I wanted to know if they were the same as Dilandau's.  
I started reaching out, to skim my fingers along their surface, and one fell, right into my hand. I held it delicately, like it was glass or something. Like I might break it, just by touching it.   
There was a strange glow coming from the tip of the feather, like it was a flash light, or, maybe a light bulb.   
Van started to turn around, and I quickly shoved the feather in my pocket. I didn't want him to think that I'd stolen it, or anything.   
"We should stop here, it's close enough that we'd only have to walk a little further tomorrow. And it's not too dark to set up a camp. Could you start getting wood for a fire?" He asked.  
I nodded. If he trusted me not to run off, maybe he thought it was his way of testing me. If I came back, I was falling for his trick, if I didn't, then he wouldn't get into so much trouble as he would have if he'd killed me.   
I walked around, if I kept walking in the direction he had been leading in for the little while he had been, maybe it would get to the city tonight! Or, maybe I would come to a huge death pit.   
If I left tonight, and came to the pit, then he wouldn't be there to push me in... But then again, I didn't really know what kind of animals could be stalking me at night. These forests were different then the ones at home, when I would sneak through the tree's and climb up to Ziabach.   
I wasn't going to take a chance. I would mix my idea's. I would sleep a little tonight, my legs were killing me anyway. I was used to running, and I could do that for a while, but walking at least twelve miles really damaged my legs.  
Anyway, I planned to sleep a few hours tonight, and then, while he was asleep too, sneak away. Maybe I would be able to find a city, like he had said.  
As I gathers sticks and dead leaves for things to help get the fire going better, I though about what it would be like. I had never before seen a real city. I didn't know what it looked like.  
My dad had always brought Joe with him when he was selling and delivering food to people from out of the town. I had never really gotten a chance to ride on the cart next to him, or hold the reigns to the horses.   
Finally thinking I had enough wood, I walked back to where I heard Van moving around and preparing things.   
"Here, I don't know if I got enough, if I didn't then I can go out and get some more," I said, while tossing the wood at his feet.  
"That should be enough, that you Tora. But, do you know how to light a fire?" He asked. I looked at him like 'Are you joking me?' "I'm making the beds, and I don't really have time to do everything by myself.  
"Yeah, sure, I can make a fire," I said. He turned around and started making the beds again and I smacked my forehead. What kind of question was that? 'Uh... duh... can you make a fire?' Of Course I can make fire? What? Are you stupid? I a farm girl for crying out loud! I should know how to make a flame, I have to so that I can feel the family and make hot water for bathes and stuff.  
I didn't really think that he might be from Ziabach anymore, he was too stupid. (no offense to all ya Van fans out there!)  
I piled the wood so that it looked kind of like a tee pee. The smoke would go out from the top, and better then that, the wood would burn slower. Plus, it's easier to clean up.  
Looking around I saw two rocks, I placed the dead leaves on the ground under the wood and stalked over to get the stones. I beat the rocks together and got sparks that eventually hit the leaves and caught little splinters sticking off the wood, which in turn lead to a pretty well made fire. (We all know that wouldn't work, but hey! She lost her bag in Ziabach, her matches were in there not in her pocket!)  
"Not bad," Van said, looking approvingly at the fire. "Can you go without dinner tonight?" He asked.   
"Yeah, I'm not starving or anything," I said, shrugging.   
"Good, because I have nothing to use to catch something, and it's late anyway, we have to get to sleep," He said, and walked over to one of the small beds made of moss and some flower petals, and even a leaf here or there.   
I fallowed his lead and went to the other bed that was a little bigger, and flopped down on it. The aroma coming from it was nice and helped to cradle my mind, slowly taking over my brain and only making it think of sleep....  
  
***  
  
I woke with a start. Something was wrong. No... looking around the campsite I saw that nothing was wrong, everything was where it was when I fell asleep. The only thing different was that the fire was dying...  
Dying... and thick clouds of smoke rising from it. Most of the coles were out.... Wait.... there was something wrong! I could feel it! I crawled over to the fire.... the thick smoke stung my eyes and looking at the coles... there were too many out, and too much smoke.   
"Oh god... someone's pored water on this... someone's here..." I said, standing, I jerked looking around. I could have sworn I heard a twig crack in the distance. My nerves started sending massages all over my body.  
Go! Run! What are you waiting for! Fear! Adrenalin! RUN RUN RUN!!!   
I couldn't stop it when my feet started pounding against the ground. I heard things shuffling around me, as if people were watching my body dart through the forest.   
Who was fallowing me? What was it? Why was it here? My mind raced to find answers but nothing came, as if I was drawing a blank.   
Finally, something familiar about the tree's that were surrounding me. Looking around, I saw rope marks.... rope marks? How could that be?  
Unless.... I raced faster through the tree's. Finally coming to a clearing, I gasped at what was there before me.  
My house.... the back of my house... my house... in Teress... was it true? Was I home? Where I could see my dad, and my siblings.  
"Well, you lead us right to it," Someone said behind me. I shivered, spinning around, I saw Dilandau and some of his men.  
"You?!" I screamed.  
He laughed. "Burn it. Burn it all..." He said, and suddenly there were torches, and people holding my arms as his dragon slayers races to my village, and set the roof tops on fire.  
"No! NO! Stop... STOP!!!" I screamed and kicked, but they were holding me too tightly. I watched helplessly as I saw my home being engulfed in flames... my home... my house... where I was supposed to be able to see my Dad and family... no...  



	5. Ziabach's Worst enemy part 5

Ziabach's worst enemy!  
Part. 5  
  
Smoke and heat clogged my lungs. If the fire was doing this to me while I was so far away, imagine what it was doing to the people in it!  
Why were they doing this? Didn't they know how much it would hurt me? Of course they did, that's why they're doing it, stupid. They know it'll effect your performance. Your fighting skill will waver and they'll use that time, while your weak, to poison you, or to beat you up.   
I coughed, and looked up, Dilandau was standing right in my path. I had no problem with it, I couldn't see my house turning to ashes.   
"Sad isn't it? Your only home, gone, burned, and your family with it." He said before shoving his fist into my stomach. I crippled, I fell to the ground despite the people holding me up.   
"I pity you Dilandau, so you ever eat anything besides other people's pain and sorrow?" I asked, looking up. More smoke caught in my lungs and I couldn't control my lungs, I went into a coughing spasm.  
"The one I really love seeing get hurt is you, Tora, you've always caused so much trouble, a smart person would have quite while they were ahead, but no, you had to keep going, which is just what got you into your inconvenience."  
I counted the syllables," Wow Dilandau, you used four syllables, a new world record!" I said with fake enthusiasm.   
I got kneed in the stomach for that one. I clenched my teeth and swallowed the cry coming up from my voice box.   
"Let's get her back to Ziabach, Folken-sama is waiting for her," Dilandau said, and them punched me across the face before his soldiers knocked me out.   
  
***  
  
When I awoke, I was on the bed with the straps, and a soldier was tying me down. Immediately I tried to kick him away, but my feet were already clasped to the table.  
"No! No, please, untie me, please!" I begged, he looked at me, as if saying he was sorry, and then finished strapping the leather that was holding my wrist.  
I looked at him, begging him silently, I didn't want them to start using me for things I didn't want them to. To put drugs in my body just to see what they would do to me.   
They boy had short brown hair, and blue eyes. He looked taller then me, but it might just have been because I was on the table.  
"Miguel, you can leave now, thank you," He said. I watched as they boy turned around and nodded his head once, before leaving the room.  
I looked in the shadows where I had heard the voice coming from. A man with a long dark blue, almost black cloak seemed to float over to the bed I was on. He had a frosty blue spiky hair, and a purple tear drop under his right eye. His eyes were a red - pink color, almost like Dilandau's.   
"Why is it that everyone here wants to kill me?" I asked, he looked... almost surprised that I could talk after seeing my own house fall to the ground.  
"Because you've caused us so much trouble." He said, as if it was obvious.   
"Look, I did what I do because Dilandau had killed my master, I had to use my skill to do something to avenge him," I said. The man's face didn't change, he kept looking at me, like... as if asking 'Should I care?'. "It would have been disgraceful to just leave his death the way it was!"   
"Listen girl, I'm not sure why you're so patient about killing yourself trying to make your master seem like a strong guy, but it gets tiring, if I was you, I'd save my strength, because after we inject you your not going to be feeling too well," He said.  
"We?" I asked.  
"You didn't think that I'd go through all the trouble of catching you again just so that Folken-sama would be able to have the fun of watching you suffer, did you?" I heard Dilandua ask, as the door slid open.   
His sillowet was all black against the bright light beaming through the door. But I knew it was him, there was no mistake. I sighed, as if to show how bored I was.  
"Dilandau, come in here and close the door, there's too much light." I guessed the one named Folken said. He was the only other one in the room besides me.  
Dilandau did as he was instructed. Walking up, I saw he was smiling, very much. I yawned, to make it seem like I didn't care much at all.  
Dilandua reached onto the side table and pulled off a serringe. I bit down my fear, the last thing I wanted was for them to know that I was scared and that they had the advantage over me. I didn't want them to know that I was really starting to panic.  
"In her elbow," Folken instructed, and Dilandau turned my arm, making it go the way it wasn't supposed to, just so that he wouldn't have to bend over.   
I clenched my teeth as he shoved the needle into my skin, I could feel it scrape across my bone, and I jerked.  
"Gentle Dilandau, it wont work if you make it go in too far, slowly next time." Folken said.  
"Yes Folken-sama," Dilandua said, and I watched as he make the liquid flow from the thorn into my arm. My arm tried jerking out of the holder to get away as he pulled the needle out of my elbow.  
"Shouldn't you have someone who know's what they're doing be here, not wonder boy?" I asked.   
"How long until it starts working?" Dilandau asked.  
"That's one of the things that we're testing, but usually a few minutes," Folken explained.  
I sighed. "How much you want to bet it's not going to work at all?" I asked.  
  
***  
  
"Here Tora, hold still all right? I'm going to give you a shot, but it will help if anyone ever tries to hurt you with poison, okay?"  
"Yes master Magus," I said, holding out my arm. He slowly, carefully, injected me with something, something that would stop any bad drug from taking over my body, from making me go crazy.  
  
***  
  
I started laughing. Of course! My master was said to have premonitions, if he saw that ten years later they were going to try and drug me, then he would have given me the shot to stop it! .... But, then I wonder, did he know that he was going to die? Did he see the way Dilandua had killed him? Witnessed it?  
"Folken-sama, is it supposed to make her start laughing?" Dilandau asked.  
"You idiot's! No matter how much you give me it's not going to work!" I said, through my breaths. This was a riot!  
"Dilandau, shut her up," Folken said, and Dilandau walked over, and punched me hard, in the stomach, again. "Take her back to the room, if she starts to act weird come and find me, it might be the drugs acting up." he said, and then started walking out of the room.  
Dilandau walked over to me and started unstrapping me. Once I was free, I was about to run, but he grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back.  
"Agh," It hurt, I clenched my teeth against the pain.  
"Come on," He said, and pushed me forward through the door, pulling my arm up further and making it hurt even more.   
"Is that the only thing you can think of to make me move?" I asked.  
"It's the only thing that's really fun that means I don't have to carry you," he said.  
I stopped walking, and he pulled up further, but I still didn't move. "You think that by holding my arm, you can make me walk?" I asked, almost as if I didn't believe him.  
He didn't say anything, but instead shifted around to pull out his sword.  
"I doubt that you'd ever have the courage," I said, looking back. I didn't really doubt him, but if they still wanted to keep me for whatever reason, then he wouldn't dare, but then again, he had said that he would rather kill me then anything else. And that was before they knew that the drugs wouldn't work on me, so... what was going to happen now?  
"I wouldn't think so, but then again, you are the one who's been such a trouble maker," he said.  
"Yeah yeah I know, I'm a real pest, everyone here hates me, blah blah blah," I said, and as soon as I was done, I felt someone rather cold and sharp against my neck, and shut up right away. If he was serious enough to put in right on my neck, then he just might end up slitting my throat.  
But as soon as I was thinking that, he moved it down to my wrist, the one that he was holding, and I felt it cut my skin.  
"You'll get woozy, but hopefully you'll get to the room before that though," He said.  
"Well, I'll be sure to make it as aggravating for you as possible, oh wait, isn't that word a little long for you to understand?"  
"Just for that comment," he said, and slashed my other wrist.  
"Hey! Are you trying to kill me or something?" I asked, "Okay, bad question." I added.  
"Now get going or I'm going to split your throat too."  
"No, like I said, I'm going to make it as bad as I can," I said, and pushed against his shove, and ended up not going anywhere, which was just what I wanted.   
But almost as soon as I had done that, I started to get dizzy, and I looked down, my blood was making a small puddle on the ground.   
"Now move before you black out," He said, and pushed me forward again, but this time, I tripped, and had to lean against the wall to stay up. "Move!" He instructed.   
"Oh lay off," I said, and started walking again. I shook my head to keep a straight mind.  
He pushed me to make me walk faster, he didn't have time to good off, according to him. This time, I tripped, and he had to grab my arm so I didn't fall on my face.  
"Walk much?" He asked, helping me regain my balance and putting a hand in the middle of my back to help me move forward without falling again.   
"Oh just shut up..." I said, and then added, "I'm not used to letting people slit my wrists, blood loss is something that's new for me."  
"Letting me?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
"Yes, if I wanted to, I could have reversed the position and sent you flying over this railing, I said, jerking my head.  
He chuckled. "As much of a pain you are, you're always just as amusing."  
"Oh can you ever learn to be quiet?" I asked, as he pulled me to a stop. I could barley stand now, and there was a little drop of my blood here, a little there, eventually leading to my room, where another puddle was starting to form. "You're so annoying sometimes."  
He let go of my arm, and punched in the code to the room, and as the door slid open, he glanced over in my direction, as if checking to see if I was all right.  
"Go on, do you think you can make it to the bed without falling?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
I pulled away before shooting him a deadly glance. "Of course, I'm not that weak..." I said, and walked into the room. But as soon as he wasn't there to support me, I fell on my knee's, hard.  
He sighed and walked over, he picked me up, a hand on both of my elbows, and led me over to the mattress.  
"I didn't need your help," I said, matter of faculty.  
"Sure could have fooled me," he said, walking into the shadows.  
"I don't see how someone like you could have risen to such a high position," I said, flopping down on the bed, and putting a hand over my eyes, to keep the light out. Even though some dimness was spilling through the cracks between my fingers, it was better then just the straight light.   
"Hm, that's why your not an army girl," he said, but I didn't hear the rest, I had blacked out, all I know, is that he went to get someone.  
  
***  
  
I woke up, and my wrists were banged, and someone was packing their things up, I didn't know who else would be here, accept Dilandau, but I opened my eyes, and it defiantly wasn't him, he was maybe... a year older, maybe less, I didn't know, but he was wearing the blue uniform, so he must have been one of the soldiers.  
"Who are you?" I asked, starting to sit up. He had short brown hair too, and again, blue eyes.  
"Don't sit up, Viole said that you should rest," He said, pushing me back down gently.  
"Who?"   
"Our medical doctor."  
"He's the one who bandaged up my wrists?" I asked, looking, and just now noticing that they were wrapped in a white gauss.  
"Yeah, get some more rest, and then you can worry about escaping," He said, standing up, and closing a box that had ointment and gauss, and instant ice, you know, a medical box.  
I laughed. "I think you're probably the nicest dragon slayer I've met yet," I said, smiling.  
He chuckled before saying, "Well, you don't know the other soldiers, maybe if you did, you wouldn't hate us so much," he said.  
I looked at him, something about his appearance, made him seem like he wouldn't be someone who would want to go on a killing spree. But I remembered seeing him in the town, he was one of the one's who attacked me, when I was defending my sister. He looked different then, then he did now.  
"What's your name soldier?" I asked.  
"Gatti, now get some rest, I don't want to be yelled at because Viole thinks that I didn't tell you what to do," He said, and then walked out of the room.  
Huh, I guess that not all the soldiers here are ruthless and want to take over the world. But they have to know what they're helping, they have to know that all they're doing is wrong and that they could be doing people so much more good going against what they've been trained, or use their skill to rebel against Ziabach.  
Maybe, maybe I could get some of them to join me, maybe I could teach them what I've learned about Ziabach, and use what they know from being here so long, they could be useful, especially if Dilandau and the others didn't know they were on my side!   
But, you'd have to convince them, Gatti doesn't really want to be here, you could see it, and same with the other one, Miguel, or, maybe they're just sorry that you have to do through so much, maybe that's it, but, maybe you could use that to help convince them to join you.   
No, they would never go against their beloved Dilandau and Folken, why they were so loyal was beyond me, but they must have had a good reason.  
Maybe, if they still felt sorry for me, I could become their friends, and over time, get them to help me escape, that was, if I had enough time, if Dilandau wasn't pla  



	6. Zaibach's worst enemy part6 6

Ziabach's worst enemy!  
Part 6  
  
Eventually I had fallen asleep. Could you blame me? there was just about nothing I could do that didn't involve me moving, that guy... Gatti, had told me to get some rest, like that other guy, Viole, had told him.   
Dreams.... things I didn't usually have... I was having now... but... it was like they weren't mine... they were someone else's... someone... who didn't want to remember their past, someone who... who hated where they were.  
  
***  
  
"Listen son, I know that you'll like it there. I know how much you love it here, and how much you want to stay, but you're never going improve your skill if you don't join the dragon slayers with Ziabach."  
"But Father!"   
"I don't want to hear another word, Gracy packed you up all ready, the carriage with be here in a few moments."  
Who was talking? My dad? No, someone else's dad, and this was someone else's memory. How was it that I could be seeing this person? This thing... what was this? Where was I?  
"It's here, go, now."  
"But-"  
"I said GO!"  
The ground started passing around me, tree's moved swiftly by, and then the carriage was all around me, er, around him. And uh -- we -- started moving. The boy's eyes looked to his father, and hate and rage were bruing within his mind, then, he looked at someone, I guessed that it was his mother...   
  
***  
  
Jerking awake, I sat up.  
"Woah! Hold it!" Someone was saying. I shot my head in their direction, they were sitting on my bed. Dilandau, what was he doing? He had a rag in his hand, and I realized my hair was sopping wet, and so was the pillow.  
"What just happened?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.  
"I don't know, all I know is that you were jerking around in your bed and in a cold sweat," He said, dropping the rag in my hand. I realized how wet my shirt was, must have been because I was sweating so much.  
"Uh, thanks," I said, and rubbed the back of my neck, I glanced away, and then back, and Dilandau was watching my every move. From the way my hand moved and used the cold moistened towel to wipe off all my perspiration, to the way my eyes would flicker.  
"Yeah," he said, and stood.  
"Why would you care if I was having a bad dream or got sick?" I asked, taking the towel away from my face.  
"I wouldn't, but Folken-sama might," He said, and started walking away.  
"You said might, does that mean you were doing it on your own will?"  
He glanced back. "I just did it because I wouldn't want to get into trouble, now get some rest, your not fully healed."  
"No thanks to you..." I said, and started wiping my face again. He turned around and glared at me. "Well, it's true. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have to have these things around my wrists or anything," I said, holding out my wrists showing him.   
"I know I know."  
"Yeah, you should know, you did it after all," I said, bringing my arms back, I wasn't sweating anymore, it was as if my experience with reading someone's mind, or their memory, was just nothing out of the ordinary.   
"Look, I didn't mean to make it so bad!" He shouted, and then glared at me.   
"Is that so?" I said, standing, and throwing the rag at him. "I couldn't tell, considering you didn't seem to care that I could hardly walk."  
"All right! I'm sorry okay?!" He asked, and turned around as I saw his face turn a cherry red.  
I raised one of my eye brows. In all the years I had been watching this guy and everyone else here for that matter, I had never ever heard this guy apologies.   
"Did I just hear right?" I asked.  
"Just get some rest."  
I walked over and grabbed his shoulder spinning him around. "Just because I'm in a good mood, you're forgiven."  
That just got him mad. He grabbed my hand and twisted it.  
"I don't apologize to anyone."  
"Really? Because I could have sworn that's just what you did." He twisted my arm more, and I could feel the scab that formed across my writs split open.  
"AH!" I couldn't stop myself, my knee's buckled and I fell to the floor.  
Dilandau seemed a little surprised and immediately let me go, and then bent down to see what was wrong.  
"Agh... I think you made my ugh... wrist start to bleed again..." I was gripping it now, which made the gauss thinner and the blood seep through faster, making it look worse then it probably was.   
For a while, Dilandau didn't know what to do. Either help me, or make some smart remark and then leave me, sending in Viole to take care of it. But, after some time, I heard a tearing noise, and looked up to see what was going on. Dilandau had taken off his upper armor, and was now only wearing a black tang top and his pants. I had to look down almost right away, seeing him look so kawaii was something different for me.  
"Here..." He said, getting on his knee's and taking my wrist gently for once.  
"Uh..." I said, I had no idea what he was doing. But he carefully unwrapped the bandage Viole had put on, and started wrapping it again with the strip of his uniform that he had ripped off. "Um... thanks..." I said as soon as he was done.  
"Yeah..."  
"You're not bad, almost as good as Viole," I said smugly. I looked up as saw him studding my face, I blushed a little, and looked down.  
"Hm, not bad for someone who hasn't had to do anything medical for a while," He said, looking at the wrist and touching the bandage before picking it up again.  
"It wouldn't really be bad anyway," I said, looking up again. I seemed to keep wanting to look at his face... it was different the way he looked strong without his armor somehow. And I wasn't afraid to admit, he was a pretty good looking guy.   
He looked at me, and blushed before dropping my hand and standing quickly. He held out his hand as an offering to me for help standing up.  
"Thanks," I said, taking it wearily, while watching him. Dilandau was kind of like a viper, he was fast, and mean, but you never knew when he would strike. I figured, for once, I would surprise him.  
And before I knew it, our lips were firmly connected, and his hand was gripping mine. Totally surprised, I knew I was the one who had started it, but the fact the he seemed to be kissing me back and holding my hand so tightly was something that made me wonder if maybe he was the one who kissed me, not the other way around.   
It was soft, and exploratory, but there was no tongue, a perfect kiss in my opinion. It only lasted a second, but it seemed like a few minutes, and I was the one who broke it.  
"Uh..." Dilandau stuttered. "I have to go get my uniform fixed now," And then he picked it up without even a second thought.  
I laughed when he had left the room. Who would have thought that he would have been able to kiss so well? And considering he was supposed to be some magerly tough guy, and the he cant even stay to look at me, that was something that stricked me as funny.   
I stalked over to my bed and fell asleep remembering and replaying what had just happened.   
  
***  
  
Waking up, I saw Gatti coming into my room holding a tray. 'How nice, and hotel breakfast in bed.'  
"Hi," I said, sitting up.  
"Oh!" He said, surprised. "I thought you were asleep."  
"I was, but I woke up."  
"I didn't do it, did I?"   
"Nah. Do you want some help?" I asked, getting up and walking over. I seemed to be happier now. Maybe because of what happened yesterday, but I doubted it.  
"Uh, sure," He said as I didn't wait for an answer and took some things off the tray.   
"Good, because I would have done it even if you had said no."   
Gatti smiled and even laughed a little.  
"So, where do we put this stuff?" I asked.  
"You were supposed to eat on your bed, but you got up."  
"We can still put it there," I said, creeping over and putting the drinks on a bedstead and Gatti placed the tray on the matted sheets. "Care to join me?" I asked.  
"Uh...." Gatti seemed startled by that question.  
"Come on, I'm not gonna bit you." I said, sitting on the bed.  
"I guess..." He said, and sat down across from me.  
"Sheesh, don't you people ever have any fun around here?" I asked.   
"For us, sword training is fun," He said, watching me take a sip from my water.  
"That's got to suck." I said. He nodded in agreement. "Want some milk or orange juice?" I asked. "I'm not going to drink them."  
"Uh, I guess." He said, and reached for the milk.  
"So, you've never actually had something for fun? You've never... ridden a horse?" I asked, he shook his head.  
"We always ride in our guymelefs or take a carriage."  
"Uh, how boring! You've never even picked on your other fellow soldiers?" He shook his head again. "Oh I pity you! No, you know what?" I asked, starting to move the tray off my bed. "We're going to have a little fun right now."  
"Uh, what are you going to do?" He asked, getting off the bed.  
"For crying out loud, I'm not going to hurt you, get up here. Come on," I said, and he stepped back onto the bed. "Now jump." I said.  
"What?" He asked surprised.  
"Jump!" I commanded. He looked at me like he didn't understand. "Jees, do I have to show you?" I asked, and started jumping on the bed. "Come on, it's not hard," I said, and pushed down on his shoulders then let go really fast and he bounced on the bed.  
"Uh... okay..." And he started jumping on the bed.   
"Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and broke his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, one less monkey jumping on the bed." I started to sing. Gatti started laughing as I went on with the song. "Nine little monkeys..." I went on.  
Eventually Gatti caught on, and we counted down, and he even got it right for the last one.  
"See? That was kind of fun." I said, flopping down, jumping so much for so long was something I had forgotten about how tired it makes you.  
"I have to go now," he said, finishing his milk. "I'm sure general Alfidose has another message waiting for me."  
"So, you're like... the messenger, right?" I asked.  
"Oh your quick," He said with fake sarcasm. I laughed and said good by to him as he left the room.  
Looks like it wasn't going to be so hard after all. I finished eating and lied down on the bed that was softer from all the jumping and stuff we had done. Again, I fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
My eyes were still tired when I got up again, but I couldn't ignore the door closing. I just barley opened one eye, and saw Dilandau coming into my room holding some things. 'What's he doing?' I asked myself.   
Dilandau walked into the darkest corner of my room and started putting something on the wall.  
When he started to leave, I sat up. "What are you doing?" I asked.  
He seemed amused that I knew he was fooling around in my room doing something.  
"Camera's, we want to be sure that you wont run away again." He said, and kept walking.  
"Is that true? Or is it just because you want to be able to keep starring at me?" I asked.  
"Look, about that," he said, turning around. "You did that, not me."  
"Are you sure? I mean, you really didn't seem to want to stop," I said.  
"Yes! You were the one who kissed me!"  
"Really? I'm not to trusting on that, I mean, you were holding my hand pretty tightly." I got up and walked over to him.  
"Why did you kiss me?" He asked, his eyes lingering on my face.  
"I wanted to surprise you for once. What better way to do it then the thing they should hate the most, but then again, I'm not to sure that you hated it."  
"Is that so? Well, I'll have to remember that. What is it you hate most Tora?" He asked.  
"That would probably be you Dilandau. Yeah, because you were the one who killed my family, you were the one who burned down my home town. You were the one who allowed your soldiers to terrorize my only home, and push my little sister. Yes, I think I hate you more then anything," I said.  
He looked at me. I couldn't believe that I had just let all that out. For once in my life, I was able to say what I wanted to him. And he didn't stop me by smacking me or cutting me off.  
"Well, then go ahead and hate me. But just one thing..." he said, and I only had time to take a breath before his hand was behind my neck, forcing me to kiss him. His other arm slowly wrapped around my waist as I tried to walk away, making it so I could move.  
My arms felt totally limp, they were like Jello, like if I tried pushing him away they would break into a thousand tiny pieces and then really leave me defenseless.   
But... something in me... something was also making me stop, making it so that he could kiss me as long as he wanted. And it was enjoying it. It liked having him so close, and it was slowly creeping up my spine taking more control over my arms.  
It closed my eyes, as his had been since he started, and made my arms wrap around his neck. Why was it doing this? This thing was starting to take over my mind, making me think more and more about how good looking he was, when the other feeling, this feeling of hate I'd had for so long, was battling it, and I didn't know what to do.  
He killed my master... He burned my town.... he destroyed my family... he was evil. The hate and rage won over, and I unwrapped my arms from around his neck, and at the same time he broke the kiss and stood there, one hand behind my neck, the other in the middle of my back.  
I pushed him off and slugged him. "If you think that by kissing me, I'm just going to forget what you've done to me, then your dead wrong."  
"Hm, but I could have sworn that I felt your arms around my neck, just the way I was holding you a second ago." He said, there was no doubt in his voice, he knew that I had done it, just like he said I had.  
"Get out!" I screamed. He laughed as he pointed a red light at the thing in the corner and then closed the door. "Oh my god! I can't believe this!" I shouted and ran over to the bed and started doing something I hadn't done my whole life. I cried. I cried for everyone. For my family, for my town... for Gatti... for Dilandau... I cried for all of them....  



	7. Zaibach's Worst Enemy part 7

Ziabach's worst enemy   
Part. 7   
  
After I woke up, I saw Miguel start leaving the room. Looking around, I wondered what he was doing. I found a box of tissues on the side of the bed. Oh man, if they brought me those things then they must have known I was crying.   
"Thanks." I said, sitting up and wiping my eyes.   
He turned around and nodded. "I felt a little bad for having to strap you down when it was so obvious that you didn't want me too. So I decided to bring you some tissues."   
"Yeah, I appreciate it." I said, reaching for one and wiping my eyes and my nose.   
"Yeah." He said.   
"Miguel, how come you're here? I mean, you seem too nice to be someone who will kill someone just because Dilandau tells you to."   
"Well, I actually didn't want to be here, my dad sent me."   
Hearing that his dad sent him, I straightened up in surprise. Was I seeing his memory? From when his dad made him go?   
"Your dad? What, did he have a maid pack your bag and send for a carriage without you knowing where you were going to go or something?" I asked. I knew I had surprised him by knowing what I did.   
"What...?" He asked, and started walking back.   
"Um... I was just guessing..." I said.   
"Well, you sure guessed right."   
"Um... actually, I had a dream about when that happened. I know that you want to tell someone, so, I can listen if you want me to," I said, shrugging, I wanted him to be able to trust me, how else would I end up making it so that I could leave without them knowing? I had to have their help, and I couldn't really get out without them.   
"A dream? What, are you physic or something?" He asked.   
"Uh... I don't think so..." I said. What if I was though. But, then wouldn't I be able to see a happy part of someone's life too?   
"Your just like...." He started to say, but the door opened and Dilandau stepping in.   
"Flirting with our prisoner are we Miguel?" He asked.   
"No sir!" He said, bowing.   
"At least it's not as bad as the things that you've done!" I but in. Dilandau glared at me before jerking his head to signal for Miguel to leave the room. Miguel left as directed, and I looked away, I didn't want to have to look at him. He was gross. Dilandau didn't move until the door was closed.   
"What are you so mad about?" he asked. I didn't say anything but didn't look at him either.   
"You know what?" I asked, finally turning and looking at him and walking until I was in front of him.   
"What?" He asked.   
"This." I said, and smacked him, hard, splitting his lip. "Never ever touch a girl without her permission."   
"Heh, a little mad are you?" He asked, wiping the blood starting to travel down his chin a little ways.   
"No, I just hate you that's all." I said, I spun around getting more force before kicking Dilandau into the wall and trapping him there with my foot against his chest.   
"I'd say you were a little more then mad."   
"What did you put in my room?" I asked, glancing over at the darkest corner where I saw him setting something up in my room the other night.   
"None if your business," He said, gripping my foot like a cork screw and twisting it, sending me flying through the air in a spiral.   
"Ugh, actually, it is my business!" I said as he came down to punch me. I rolled out of the way so his knuckles him the ground only hurting himself. "It's in the room I'm staying in!" I shouted, bringing my foot down on the back of his neck making him lie flat on the floor.   
"Well, your not really the person in charge and I don't have to tell you anything!" He yelled before punching me hard in the stomach and making me get dizzy. Taking the advantage he elbowed me in the head making it even more hard to concentrate.   
I stumbled back into the wall, hitting my head again, but I had enough sense to block Dilandau's incoming kick to my stomach and move out of the way so he couldn't elbow me again.   
"Even when you're dazed you seem to be able to know what's coming." He said, finally trapping me against the wall with his hand on my neck ready to choke me if I tried anything I shouldn't.   
"Well, I am known for being a good fighter and being your burden." I said. It was true, that was the reason I was known through Ziabach, because I was such a problem to them. I was hard to catch and fast acting, in other words, the opposite of Ziabach.   
"Hm." He said, his grip getting tighter around my neck. I had to put a hand on his and pull on his fingers to stop me from suffocating, but he was stronger then I was. Right when I was about to pass out, he let go and I fell to the floor gasping for air. "Folken-sama says that you are a better prisoner then he expected and you're allowed to walk more freely around now. It's not like you're going to find out anything you didn't know before." He said, then turned and left.   
"What?" I asked, my hand still on my throat. More freedom? What was that supposed to mean? I would get to walk around more? Weren't they afraid that I would escape again? Or.. maybe they were doing this so that it would show that I wasn't such a great threat now or something. But how could that be? I've always been a pain to them. I've always had them on the edge of their seats hoping that I didn't know their next move and I hadn't told the town they were coming or something. So, why was it different now?   
Because I had no town to worry about? Because I didn't care about the people any more? Because I didn't care what happened to me now that their experiments were useless against me? Because they knew that I wouldn't tell them anything anyway? Even if they were beating me to my death? Maybe, but how could I know? I didn't. I would just have to guess.   
I looked over to the door, did that mean that I would be able to open it now? That I could walk around the deck and watch Dilandau train his soldiers? What was it supposed to mean? I was getting confused and needed some fresh air compared to all the heat and darkness being cooped up in this room all the time.   
I walked over to the door and it opened. I raised my eye brows, I guess there was no need for the code now that I wasn't restricted or anything.   
Slowly I walked out. Noticing how many camera's were in the halls, I wondered if they had just put them in because I don't ever remember them being there while I would sneak around.   
I looked into their lenses and walked calmly, I didn't have to worry about anything surprising me or anything, I knew what was where and when whatever turned on.   
I headed down to where I heard swords clanging and people shouting. It must have been the training room, where else would I hear those things? The torture room something in my voice said. Why would they be torturing people? Because they're Ziabach...   
Cautiously walking up to the door, I peeked into the window. People with their swords hitting and making their owners wrists start to hurt. A boy cried out as his opponent made a slash in his shoulder. I could tell it must have been hot in that room, it was big, but had lots of lights, sweat was dropping off their foreheads and their faces a little red from all the fighting.   
I watched to see their fighting style, maybe if I was going to fight them, this would give me little hints on what they did and how strong they attacked, if I was going to fight them I wanted to know if I could block them or if they were so strong I would have to move out of the way.   
Then, I saw Dilandau. Taking on two guys, his white tang top was soaked with sweat, I had to look away. Just... something about it. I turned around and there was Folken, right in my face.   
"Woah!" I shouted, and before I knew what I was doing I had high kicked him and was about to punch him when his fist came out and caught mine.   
"Calm down." He said, and let go of me.   
"You shouldn't sneak up on people, you might get hurt." I said, starting to walk away.   
"Who were you watching?" He asked.   
"Everybody. When I have to fight you I want to be able to know how hard someone attacks or with what strategy. All right?" I asked. I couldn't stop myself from telling him what I was doing.   
"Do you really think you're going to have to do that?" he asked.   
"Yes, for when I get out of here and train enough to come back and hit you really hard." I said, before I could stop myself, it's like I couldn't control my mouth for some reason.   
"Hm. Have fun looking around." He said, and stepped into the room. I ducked out before I think anyone saw me. Creeping around in the halls was something I was used to, and I tended to favor looking through the shadows, I don't know if someone saw me, maybe they didn't, but I know that there were people looking around because they could here my feet hitting then ground. I finally stopped walking and looked at the door in front of me.   
How did I get here? I was just walking, for once I didn't know where I was going. It was odd, like something else was leading me here.   
"Top Secret! For Generals Only." I read allowed. 'Sounds interesting' I thought, and put my hand on the knob. I didn't even turn it and it opened. The room was dark, there was a faint lighting coming from a torch in the back of the room, and file cabinets all over the place.   
I walked in, after looking around to be sure that no one was coming. Closing the door behind me quietly, I walked over to the fist cabinet and read what it said.   
New recruits, how long soldiers are planning to stay.   
Hm, nothing of interest. I moved to the next one.   
People who are a danger to Ziabach.   
This could prove to be useful. If I was going to get people to help me, then I might be able to find some of them in here. I opened the cabinet and started looking through names. Suddenly one flew out at me.   
Magus Zeal.   
I stopped, and took out the folder with care. I sat down on the floor looking at his name for a few minutes, and then finally opened the file.   
Magus Zeal is one of Ziabach's greatest dangers. He has killed several captains and will not stop for anything until everyone in high rank has been taught a lession.   
I skimmed the paragraph and then my eyes caught sight of something at the bottom.   
No longer living. Killed by Folken Strategose.   
My hands started shaking and my eyes swelled up with tears. But... it said Folken, how could that be? Everyone thought that Dilandau had done it...... But it all made sense... four years ago, Dilandau was only eleven. How could they recruit someone so young? When four years ago Folken was all ready a part of Ziabach and in his early twenties... so all this time I had been wrong about Dilandau.   
A tear fell from my eye and landed on the paper. 'Oh no' I though quickly wiping it away, but the water mark was still there, and now smeared some of the ink.   
I heard someone walking down the hall, I quickly took out some of the papers detailing the fight, and shoved them up my sleeve, folding them around my arm so it looked like nothing was there, and put the folder back where it was, closed the drawer and stood up.   
Then the door opened. 'Uh ho....' I thought. Great, now what was going to happen to me?   
"Tora. I knew it was you on the camera." I heard Dilandau say.   
"Yeah, so what about it?" I asked, walking past him and out the door. His hand reached out and grabbed my arm tightly. I looked at it. "Let me go." I demanded.   
"So, I would guess that you know now." He said.   
"Yes, but I still hate you for destroying my village." I said, wrenching my arm out of his grasp.   
"Ah well, if you were here you'd know you had better follow orders too." He said, turning and looking at me.   
"So, in other words your saying you didn't kill Master Magus, and that you only burned down my village because you were told to?" I asked. He didn't say anything, just looked at me. "Where is your brain?! Don't you ever get tired of following orders? You are just like everyone else here, you don't know how to have fun." I said, before turning hotly and stalking away. If he was going to make my village as flat as the ground around it he could have at least done it because he thought of it, not because someone else told him too! I hoped Gatti and Miguel would be able to teach him how to have a little fun. Maybe then he wouldn't be such a nag.   
"Tora." he said, walking back up to me.   
"What?" I snapped.   
He held out his hand.   
"What?" I asked again.   
"Give me the papers." He said.   
"What?" I asked like I didn't know what was going on.   
His hand shot out and grabbed my arm with the papers. His thumb dug into my skin and he heard the paper crinkle. "Let go." I demanded.   
He stuck his fingers up my sleeve and I pulled back, but some of the papers were sticking out.   
"Tora, give me the papers." He said, his voice didn't seem to be so mean anymore. Like, now that he didn't have to play the big bad enemy anymore he was showing he could be more gentle then I though. "Tora." He said, holding out his hand again.   
"No." I said, pushing them back into my sleeve.   
"Tora. If I have to rip off your sleeve I will." He said.   
"You'd have to catch me first." I said, and then bolted. It was weird, like, now that I knew he wasn't the one who killed my master I didn't have to be so mean, just like now that I knew, his tone wasn't so harsh.   
"Tora!" He called, then I could hear his feet hitting the ground behind me. It was so weird, like playing tag, and he was 'it'.   
I cut sharp turns and dodged past two walking dragon slayers. It must have looked pretty weird to them. Dilandau running after me for what looked like no reason because they couldn't see the papers under my sleeve.   
I could here his feet behind me getting closer, he knew these passages as well, if not better, then I did, and he was probably the same speed, maybe a little faster, but I got a head start, it just depended on who could last the longest. I was pretty sure that I could, considering I had to be running fast continuously to get back to my house before Ziabach could spot and catch me.   
But, the I could hear his feet getting much closer, maybe three feet behind me, then he jumped and tackled me to the ground.   
"Ugh!" I said as I hit the ground, Dilandau rolled me over and reached up my sleeve grabbing the papers and giving me a sly smile. "You cheated." I said sticking out my tongue and then pulling it back quickly.   
For the first time I heard him laugh. It's not a crazy one they gave him like in the TV show, but, one that fit him better. It wasn't high pitched, but not down low either, it fit him perfectly.   
"You run pretty fast for a girl," he said, sitting up. I looked around the hall, no one around. Good, I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea with me on the ground stretched out and Dilandau sitting close to me.   
"Heh, I could run faster if I wanted." I said, sitting up. Something caught my ears.   
A quiet voice... someone asking for help... and then something like the crack of a whip...   
"What is that?" I asked, standing up.   
"What?" Dilandau asked.   
I walked to a door that was at the end of the hall way.   
"Tora! Stop!" He yelled and came running after me, he grabbed me around my waist and pulled me back.   
"Let me go! I just want to see what it is!" I said, and the cries for help became louder.   
"Tora, trust me, you don't want to see!" Dilandau said, gripping me tighter.   
"Let go!" I shouted, stomping on his foot and then elbowing him in the nose. I ran up to the door, and then knew why Dilandau didn't want me to see...   
"You should have listened..." He said, walking up and looking into the window with me.   
There, curled on the floor, a girl with blond hair... Marel... my you 


	8. Ziabach's Worst Enemy part 8

Ziabach's worst enemy!  
Part 8  
  
"But.... Marel... how can that be...?" I asked, taking a step away from the window, my throat swelled and my mouth formed a weird shape from fighting back the cries that were rising.  
"Come on..." Dilandau said, very gently taking my wrist and leading me away from the door, from the window.... from my sister.  
"Dilandau, what is she doing here?" I asked, pulling my wrist from his hand.  
".... I can't say." He said simply. "Come on, you don't want to stay." He said, and started walking away.  
"Dilandau tell me!" I shouted loud enough for anyone to hear. "Why is she here?! Why is she locked up!?" I screamed, running back to the window and looking in.   
Marel's dress was soaked with blood in some places, and she had blacked out from the pain. Her lip was split and she had bruises running all down her arms, well, what I could see anyway. Her ankle was twisted in a weird way, and there was no doubt that it was broken.  
"Come on Tora."   
"No! I'm not leaving until you tell me why she's here. Now talk." I said, looking back at him. I wanted to know why she was here.  
"Tora, don't make me have to carry you. Please, come on." He said, putting out his hand.   
I stud, not moving, I wasn't going to until I got some answers. It was the least he owed me for burning my village and making me think that he had killed Master Magus.  
Dilandau finally sighed. I could tell he was more relieved about telling me then aggravated. "Folken - sama wants to use her to torture you. To make you give your life. He says that if you agree, then he'll have Voile fix her leg and tend to her wounds. He says your death would be valuable to Ziabach. That it could help to take over Gaea." He said.  
I gulped. "So, in other words, it's give, and die, to save my sister?" I asked. The lump in my throat grew as I watched Dilandau nod.   
Give everything up, for my sister? All my training, going to the one thing I was totally focused on stopping? That I was willing to give my life for? For my sister?  
"What happens if I refuse?" I asked. Dilandau shook his head, a sign that they would kill her. "If I said okay, would you promise not to touch her again, and to act like she was never related to me?"  
"You would have to ask Folken - sama. He's the one who decided to make all this happen. I never said anything, just told you, so that you could have time to think about it." He said.  
I thought of something, "Dilandau, is this all getting on tape?" I asked. I could see that Dilandau's breathing had stopped. "Is there some place where there aren't any tapes?" I asked, looking at the camera facing right at me.   
"No, they're everywhere." he said. "Exept..." He trailed off, and took my arm, his grip tight, but not to hurt me.   
"Where are we going?" I asked.  
"Just keep quiet. If I tell you then they can go and find us." he said, pulling me through all the hall ways.   
He walked slowly, and didn't talk, he walked when the camera's couldn't see us, and stayed in the shadows only. Never stepped into the light, not unless we had to cross the halls.  
Finally he stopped in front of a door and punched in the code. It slid open and he pulled me in.  
"Welcome to my room." He said, walking over to his bed and lying down.  
"Dilandau, you have to help me!" I said, cutting right to the chase, walking up to him and leaning on the edge of the bed.  
"Help you? Help you what?" He asked.  
"Not help me escape. Help me get my sister out of here. I can't let them keep hurting her. Chances are she all ready hates me for keeping a secret from her, I have to make her see that I'm still her sister!" I pleaded.  
Dilandau put his hand under his head and looked at me. He was still wearing his white tang top, I guessed that he didn't bother to change when he saw that I was looking through the files.  
"How can I help someone who hates me?" He asked, raising his eye brows.   
"Hm, Dilandau, please. Now is not the time to bring that into this. You wouldn't know, you've never had a brother or a sister, you've always been alone. I haven't. I've always had people there with me. And now she's the only person I have. She's my family, Dilandau... please, try to understand...." I said, begging. The lump in my throat had returned, and my eyes started clouding with tears.  
"Don't start crying, because that's not going to motivate me." He said, standing and getting his sword from his closet. "Do you have any idea what will happen if I did help you?" He asked, glancing over.   
"Do you think that I crawled around in the vents all this time without seeing the penalty for something?" I asked, blinking away the tears.  
"Hm." Was all he said.  
"Dilandau please. I know that you really aren't that mean, and that you're hard on your soldiers because you want them to be the best, but can't you just for once, please, just act like I'm not the enemy, and that I'm a friend or something. Because right now that's really what I need."  
"I don't care what you need Tora. You don't care what happens to me, because you're the enemy. And for a while there, I forgot that. But thanks for reminding me that you're a women, a snake, that you play with men and then leave their bones for a vulture."  
"Dilandau that's not wh- " I started, but he interrupted me.  
"You know, I was almost going to say 'maybe'. But, then again, no one cares for me, so why should I care for anyone else." He said, shrugging.  
"But if you -" I started again, jogging up to him. "If you just try being nice to someone else, then it will come back to you, just like if you do something bad." I said.  
"Tora, I'm tired of listening to you beg."  
"And I'm tired of listening to you complain!" I said, smacking him. "Okay, it's true, I do know what I'm asking you, and I do know the penalty, but I also do care! If I didn't think that there was some way of getting you to say yes, then you you really think that I was going to ask?! I mean, you're the all powerful and totally destruction loving Dilandau! Why the hell should you care if someone feels entirely grateful to you? If someone is willing to pay anything to say 'thanks for helping me out that one time'. Your soldiers do it by giving you their lives to protect you from any damage that might come. I don't know what I could do, but I'm asking." I said, totally mad now.   
"Tora...." He said. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I won't."   
My eyes flickered with disappointment. "Fine. Then I'll do it myself..." I said, turning on my heal and stalking out of the room.   
How was I going to do it? I know that I have to get her out of here. There's no way that I can let her stay, it's too dangerous... but... what am I going to do? Without the help of someone on the inside, to shut off the camera's, then, how am I going to be able to work and get the door open without the people seeing me? It would help if I had my things...  
A the memory of my sword and the things in my pack, I wondered where they were. Maybe I should try and find them, then I could get her out, and worry about the punishment later. If I didn't have my things, and had to take more time, and got caught, they would surly do something to her, and lock me up again! They would keep me in the room either way, but one way or the other, I would get Marel out, although the punishment would be the same for me.  
I looked around to see if I could figure something out. I would have to play my cards safely, maybe I could talk to Dilandau or someone, to tell me where they put equipment that they don't use or something. Get them talking about where they put the Guymelef's if they're not in use. Well, I knew that all ready, in the Vione.   
It was stupid, you'd think that after all the time that I spent crawling around in the vent's that I would have figured out something on where they would put my things.   
I chewed on my cheek, I realized I was still standing outside the door of Dilandau's room, and in clear view of the camera's. I slowly walked away after the camera's lens turned away form me.   
I ran down the hall, maybe by some miracle they would me stupid enough to put my things there... I cut a corner and ran right into Miguel.  
"Ugh!" I grunted as I hit the floor, landing on my tail bone, pain shot through my spin and hit my head full force.   
"Tora! Oh sorry," he said, reaching out his hand to help me up. I took it while holding my head, pain was still throbbing through my temples.  
"It's okay. Ouch," I said, letting go of his hand. "Thanks, hey, Miguel. Do you have a chamber where you keep the damaged Melef units, right?" I asked, trying to be nonchalant.  
"Yeah, we do, but only because of you, other wise we'd have no need." he said, raising his eyes a little surprised at my question.  
"Heh," I said, half laughing. Miguel smiled and I continued. "I was just wondering, so, there would be an engineering room there, wouldn't there?" I asked.  
"Yeah, why?"   
"Well, it would just make sense. Anyway, have you showed the other dragon slayers how to have some fun?" I asked, changing the subject.  
"Not yet, but Gatti said that you showed him some stuff too." He said.  
"Well, yeah, you guys live such dull lives, I'm not just going to watch you guys who are only what, fifteen or sixteen live lives like that?" I asked, raising an eye brow.  
Miguel laughed, and shook his head. "Well, I didn't really know you, I don't really right now, but I know more." He said.   
"Well, you think you do, not to make you think you've got me wrong or anything, but, oh well, you know what I mean." I said.  
"Yeah, well, I've got to get to the Vione, we're running sessions if they're ready or not." He said, stepping a side and kept walking.  
"See ya later!" I called, and Miguel waved over his shoulder. I shook my head, I didn't really want to think that I had just used someone that might end up being the closest thing to a friend I ever had, aside from Gatti, they were pretty equal, but, they might be my only 'friends' from Ziabach.  
I turned back around, to the direction Miguel had just left from, and set into a run. I had to find the room. God only knew how much long I was going to have before they decided that they didn't want to use Marel to get me to cooperate. They might just decide to kill her, maybe that might have more of an effect on me then seeing her in pain.  
I sprinted past a large set of iron doors, and slid to a stop. "Engineer room" I read off the label on the door. I took a glance around before stepping into the room.  
It was lit with bright torches all over. Well, I guess that it had to be so light, other wise they might end up missing something wrong with the guymelef, if it was really dark in the room, like how it was when I first woke up in the prison that they were keeping me in.   
I carefully checked all over to make sure that no one was here. I could hear a person... or... maybe two or three, but, it was dark, chances were that they were people closing up. And that ment they would probably lock the doors. Making me trapped in this room.  
I ran quietly through the room, looking for somewhere that would have a screw driver, a hammer, something! Anything I could use to break the lock on her door!  
I heard the people walking in my direction, I heard something that sounded like swords occasionally hitting their legs, and a little gingle, as if something was on a chain, a peice of jewelry. Maybe a dog tag.  
I decided not to find out, I ran as quietly as I could, and as quickly as I could, and I could hear people picking up their pace, coming after me! I barely glanced back, before seeing a flash of red. Could it be...?  
"Agh!" I said, running into someone. Again, going flying, and getting sprawled onto the floor. I looked up, one eye closed to help deal with the pain, and I saw a man with shoulder leighth blond hair, wearing a blue tunic, and had a sword positioned right so the tip was at my neck.  
"A women?" He asked, surprised.  
"Move your sword so I can stand up. I don't have a weapon." I said, but he seemed unmoved. He stud still as I heard the 'clap clap clap clap' of feet hitting the floor get louder, and eventually stop right behind me.  
"You again?" I heard someone asking, and the sound of him putting his sword away. 'Again?' I thought, well, his shirt was red, and he did sound like that boy from the woods, what was his name? Van?  
"Yes, tell your body guard here to let me stand up," I said, propping myself up on my elbows. He had to move the sword so that it didn't cut my neck.  
"It's all right Allen, I know her, well, sort of." He said, and pretty boy moved his sword away from my neck, slowly, as if he didn't totally trust Van, or maybe he was always cautious. I didn't really know for sure. "I saw her falling from Ziabach, and I went to get her, but..." He didn't finish. Maybe he was starting to suspect that I was from this place/  
"Thanks," I said, standing, and wiping off my arms and legs. Ziabach wasn't known for keeping their floors clean. "But, what are you doing here?" I asked.  
"Looking for something." Van said. I didn't know if he would have told me originally, but, the look he gave me, I knew they thought I was from the floating fortress, and if I was a girl, that was still alive, then I must have some kind of importance, in other words, and good prisoner.  
But I could leave now! Not with Marel still in her room, trapped, I was supposed to be here to get her out! Not myself!  
"Okay, whatever, go ahead, I don't care what you're doing, I have things I need to tend to." I said, and walked past Allen, looking for another room.  
"Hold it." I heard Van say, and then a firm grasp on my arm.  
"What's the big idea?" I asked, still looking around for some place that might have something I could use.  
"Why are you hear Tora?" He asked.  
"They caught me again, duh," I said.  
"Well, then why are you walking around? Isn't it a little strange to think that you're here, moving from room to room, without security or anything?" He asked.  
"Oh, I see what you're getting at, and it's not what you think. Like I told you before, I'm a farm girl, they don't see me as much of a threat, and don't want to have to take the time to keep someone with me, making sure that I stayed a good little girl and that I wasn't escaping." I said, tugging my arm free. "And if you'll notice, they put up many many more camera's watching the halls and things, so it would be kinda hard for me to get out, and you and get in without being noticed."  
"Hm," Allen looked at Van, and Van looked at Allen, then they both looked at me as if checking to see if I was telling the truth or not. Then Allen shot out and hand and Van re-gripped my wrist. "Come on." Allen said, his hand clutching my biceps.  
"Hey! Agh, what are you doing?" I asked, what were they thinking? That I was part of Ziabach?  
"Come on Tora, you actually think that we're planing to believe that story?" Van asked.  
"All right! Fine!" I said, and high kicked Van in his Temple, causing his grip to waver and him step back, letting go of my arm, which I used to gab Allen in the throat, followed by and elbow to the same location.  
They had both let go, and now I was free to run. I could always run back to the halls, where all the camera's were, but these guys weren't my enemy, if anything, they were just more people that thought they could do something to help everyone else against Ziabach, kinda like me, only not so good.  
I lept through a window, covering my face with my arms, and tumbled onto a platform, almost rolling off it, but my hands were sent out and stopped me from falling. I scrambled up and sprinted into a room that had a table, and on that table was a very familiar looking sack.  
"My bag!" I screamed, snatching it up and hugging it. I quickly threw it across my back and looked around, they were coming, I could hear their footsteps quickly closing in. I desperately looked around the room for something I could use, or another exit door, but there was none. I checked for something I could throw at them, keep them away for a little longer until I came up with a plan, but there wasn't anything.  
"Hold it," I heard Van saying, and I looked to see him standing in the door way as Allen walked up to me.   
"No! You don't understand! I can't leave untill I get Marel out! - " I pleaded, but the hilt of Allen's sword had already connected with my head, sending me helplessly to the floor where I blacked out.   
What would happen now? How was I going to help her? Or more importantly, what was going to happen to her now that I was gone...? 


	9. Zaibach's Worst Enemy part 9

Ziabach's Worst Enemy!

Part. 9

I turned over on the floor, it was cold and stone against my skin. I groaned and put my hand up against my temple, my head was itching and when I brought my hand down I saw blood on it. Allen must have hit me on the head harder then I remembered. I slowly sat up and felt the blood rushing around my head, and could feel the warmth of it oozing out of my new cut. 

"Great, doesn't anyone around here have a medical box or at least some bandages?" I asked to the empty space around me. It was dark, as far as I could tell, I was in a dungeon, how typical. The place that I actually am a prisoner in treats me more like a guest, and the place I should be a guest in treats me like a prisoner. Life is screwed up.

I looked around and saw a blanket rapped around me. I tried to rip some of it off but loosing blood was a factor that weakened my strength. I laughed as I noticed I was still in my 'spy' clothes. I had totally forgotten with all the running around, and I hadn't looked in a mirror for a while, I must have looked horrible.

I listened and heard a dripping noise off in the distance echoing through my cell. Water. I could use it to clean my cut. Or maybe give it an infection, but I was willing to take a chance.

I tossed off the blanket and crawled while listening to the sound of the dipping water. After a little while I came across it and held out my sleeve to it after taking off my glove. The gloves were leather, and leather will shrink. I wiped my head with the wet sleeve and saw the blood coming off my head. I kept cleaning it until I thought everything was okay, I didn't feel anymore blood on my head, and it would heal soon.

I slowly stud up and looked around the dark cavern I had been placed in. I slowly made my way to a candle I could see near a door. The Candle turned out to be a torch, and two guards guarding the door with it.

"Hey." I said walking up to them. "Could you guys give me some bandages for my head, I'm loosing blood here." I said, pointing. I saw them glance at each other and then one cautiously looked at me before turning and leaving.

I suddenly had the idea to take out this guy. There was only one of them now, and I could do that, even with my head injured. But it would be a lot easier if I had my bag. I at least a minimal defenses in there. I had my Dagger, that could really help. Not to mention my rocks, throwing those things could help me with my long distance enemies.

I glanced around and then looked back at the guy. "So am I the only prisoner you've got right now? Or am I just lucky and have this big cell all to myself."

"Prince Van doesn't like taking prisoners unless they're from Zaibach." he said glancing down at me. 9"Well, I'm not from Zaibach, so why am I here?" I asked.

"Because Prince Van doesn't believe you."

"Prince Van?" I asked. "I thought he was just some guy who was helping a girl in need." I said. "Yanno he saved my life. Dilandau was dropping me from a really high hight and I was ganna die, but then Van came with his wings and caught me. It seems kind of weird for him to save someone and then think that they're the enemy." I said.

"Are you done talking?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes.

"Do you know where they put my bag? It's got some stuff in there I'd like to use to keep me occupied." I said.

"I don't know, you're going to have to ask Prince Van when he comes to see you in a few moments."

"How long will that be?" I asked.

"About a half hour."

I groaned, maybe I wouldn't have to break out of here after all. but he had better hurry up. At least when I was in Zaibach they gave me a real bed with covers. At least then I could sleep.

I sat down in front of the door. "Do you have any idea why they think I'm part of Zaibach?" I asked. He didn't say anything, just kept watching me. "My sister is in there! I was trying to get my stuff so that I could get her out! Now she's there alone! They're probably wiping her right now, torturing her..... It's not fair."

"Why would she be there?"

"Because...." I trailed off. I couldn't tell them that I was the spy. They would never believe me, and just think even worse of me.

I heard a knocking on the door.

"Yes?" I the guard said through the door.

"Let us in."

"Yes Lord." He said, and opened the door. Van stud there and Allen behind him. They looked down at me, and I looked up. Hatred flicked through my eyes for a brief second.

"You have to let me go. I have things to do." I said.

"Like what? Go back to Zaibach and learn fighting skills so that you can help them kill us?" Van asked.

"NO! I have to go back to Zaibach, yes. But not for the reason that you think! They have my sister!" I screamed, and then clenched my teeth so that I wouldn't let anything else slip out, about me living in Terres, and especially me being the spy.

"Why would they have your sister?" He asked.

"Because they hate my village."

"Why?"

"Because of some stupid idot who keeps on Challenging them! When they came for food and supplies and the spy person came down and wooped them all. It was really cool at first, but then my family and I found out that they took Marel to lure the spy in. I know that he doesn't have the courage to go and get her out, so I have to do it myself, but I can't do that if you've got me locked up in here!" I cried. If I was going to make them think that I'm just a farm girl, I have to pretend that I don't Like myself. After all, it was me who got my sister captured

"Hm." Was all Allen said.

"You have to let me out! They could kill her..." I said, my voice was trailing off, hoping to make them see, but by the looks in their eyes I could tell that they weren't trusting me. "How long have I been here?" I asked, I wondered if Zaibach knew that I was gone or not. 

"Only a day." Van said simply.

"Only? " I asked. I couldn't believe this, How much longer did I have until they would kill her? I would wait until Van and Allen left before breaking out. I would have to have enough time to get my things though. They might not have as many camera's this time.

The Guard knocked on the door and the other one opened it. Van and Allen looked back and saw the Medical box he was holding.

"Prince Van." He said, a little surprised to see him visiting the prisoner so quickly.

"What's with the box?" Allen asked.

"The little miss here injured her head and asked for something to use to treat it." He explained, and tossed the box down. Van and Allen watched as I caught it and opened it up.

Van glanced at Allen before getting down on his knee's and bringing out some ointment and bandages. I looked at him as if asking what he was doing, he glanced at me a second and then looked back to what he was doing.

"Hold still," he said, and moved hair out of the gash before dabbing it. Sudden pain went through me and I let myself flinch, after all, they only thought that I was a girl, not a warrior. "Sorry." He said, I could almost tell that he wasn't being sincere.

"You don't have to be so nice, I can tell that you don't mean what you say and you would probably like to try and hurt me." I said. I stopped myself before I made it seem that I was too confident in myself. I was hoping that they didn't catch the 'try and hurt me' part, that was a hint that I was more then I seemed. But then again, I had told Van that my brother had taught me self defense, hopefully he would relate to that.

He looked at me, eyeing me as if checking my confidence. I looked away, making it see that I was doubting myself, I couldn't make it seem that I was too weak though. Keeping it at this level would be a good idea.

"You think that you could challenge me and Van?" Allen asked. I looked up, I made my face seem unsure, but I really wanted to show them what I could do. I didn't say anything, if we were going to end up fighting then I wanted it to be a surprise. If I fought them now then I would be giving away a secret I had managed to keep from almost ever, accept Zaibach that is. "Then don't make yourself look like you can." He said.

"Allen, it's all right. I'm not offended." Van said, standing up. "Your cut is cleaned now, try not to spend as much time in the dirt."

I had forgotten that Van was working on my head while I was quarreling with Allen. "How is it possible for me to stay out of the dirt if I have no bed to sleep or sit on?" I asked, standing so that I was only a little shorter then Van. He and Dilandau were about the same height.

"You have a blanket." Allen said shortly.

"Which will still get dirt on it." I pointed out. Allen looked at me.

"You have an attitude problem girl." Allen said, walking up to me. He was taller then Van, so he was much taller then me.

"Do you know Dilandau? He said the same thing." I said, and glanced at the Guards, then at Van, then back at Allen.

Allen stretched out a hand and pushed me, I stumbled back, not expecting it and he smiled. "You're only a woman. There's only so much you can brag about." He said, and turned.

"Only so much, but there's probably more I can say about myself then you can about you." I said matter of factually.

"Tora, don't pick a fight with Allen, he's a better swordsman then I am." Van said.

"Well, I haven't seen you fight, so it's really not something that can put a picture in my head." I said.

"Then just take my word for it." He said. "Just trust me."

"Trust you? How can I trust you when I don't even know who you are?! I didn't know you were a king I didn't know that you were stupid enough to think that I'm the enemy! I told you what I was doing there, but you couldn't believe me! It goes to show how dumb males are! You act just like Dilandau, just because you saw me in ONE place sneaking around you automatically assume that I'm part of Zaibach! It's Unbelievable! I sure hope you wizen up, other wise you might end up making a mistake and your country-" I was cut off when one of the guards back hand came across and smacked me across my face.

"Don't talk about King Van that way." He said, and I glared up at him. He looked almost shaken, and moved back to his post.

Van, on the other hand looked totally pissed off that I would even question his IQ.

"I can talk about anyone I want to in any way I want!" I shouted. I didn't care so much about if I was hurting their feelings, and thinking about showing my identity wasn't really on my mind, but if they knew that I was Ziabach's Worst Enemy then they would at least take me out of this stupid cell.

"Tora Shut up!" Allen yelled.

"Make me!" I screamed back.

Allen unsheathed his sword and put it to my neck. I narrowed my eyes, showing I wasn't afraid to be slashed, Allen and I stud, glaring at each other, using our minds to will each other to fold. Allen trying to make me break down and sit obediently, and me trying to make Allen see that I was more then I was pretending, that I wasn't just a farm girl.

"Tora, sit down, don't make me do anything that we'll regret." he said.

"Why aren't you saying anything Van? This is supposed to effect you more then anyone else, yet you've done nothing. Are you just like all the others? Where you only act like you're strong and can make good decisions? Come on, why not make me feel that I'm wrong?" I asked, looking past Allen and over to Van, who stud, letting everyone else do his work for him.

Van didn't say anything, but narrowed his eyes at me, and while my gaze was locked with Van's, Allen brought his foot up to take a cheep shot and get me to fall on the ground, but I saw it coming, and spun out of the way, his foot sailed by harmlessly and he lost his balance, only catching it again when his foot came to the ground.

With his sword away from my neck I took the advantage and clubbed him in the neck with my fists together. Allen fell to the floor with a thud and didn't move for a while.

While he was down I spun around and kicked the guards in their cheeks, knocking them off balance, and while the one fell, the other one watched, surprised, and I came running, smashed in his nose, and elbowed him in the stomach.

That only left van, Allen and the guards collapsed on the floor, Van looked visibly shaken, but stud in the door way.

"Move." I said. Van shook his head. "I tried being nice, I asked you to let me go so that I could get to my sister and free her from Zaibach, but you wouldn't listen." I said.

"Tora, I know all about your little story, but I also know that you have some kind of connection with Zaibach, so I can't let you go." he said.

"Then I wont wait for you to let me." I said, and as soon as my mouth closed my heal connected with his jaw, and I could hear something crack, he crippled on the floor and opened the door way.

I bolted, I smashed open the door with my shoulder and ran. I sprinted though the dark halls, I could hear water dripping in the distance from other cells. I suddenly heard other guards coming to take the other people's shift, that wouldn't be too good. I could see their torch coming through the dark hall way towards me.

I ducked as deep into the shadows as I could, their light came closer, but the halls were large, and the torch only gave off so much light. I should be okay. I kept running, but tripped on a tree root which had some how grown under the brick wall.

"Ugh!" I grunted as I hit the ground. My hand splashed as it landed in a puddle of water.

"Did you hear that?" I could hear one of the guards ask, I cursed myself silently as I stud up and wiped my hand on my black clothes. I was glad now that I hadn't been given a pair to change into. I would blend in with the darkness now, all by my head. 

"Sounded like a rat." The other one said.

"Rats don't say 'ugh' when they step in water." guard number one said.

"Lets go check it out."

"Wasn't King Van supposed to be visiting that girl that they kidnapped from Zaibach?"

"Ohh, I hope nothing went wrong."

"Are you kidding? Key word there, girl." he said. I narrowed my eyes, there would be nothing wrong with taking out two more soldiers on the way, it just means that I would have less to worry about. I smiled to myself."Oh yeah. They're all weak, heh heh heh. Hopefully she'll get what's coming to her for working with something so evil."

I snuck around them and then punched them both in the back of the head. They fell to the ground with a thunk and the torch slowly went out as I listened to the 'ssssss' of water dripping on it from above. It slowly went out, and left me in total darkness.

I had to find my bag, they must have had people going through it, which ment that I would have to come out of no where to get it back, surprise them, snatch it up, and still be able to have enough speed to get away without letting any soldiers come after me.

I crept around for a little while longer, when I finally found the exit, left, and snuck around some more.

I heard people laughing, girls, and they were talking about something.

"Some one from Zaibach? And girl?" one of them asked. They giggled again.

"Lord van said that we had permission to go through her bag and see what was there."

"I don't know Merle, if someone went looking through something of mine, I wouldn't really appreciate it."

"Oh come on Millernia! She's from Zaibach." The one I guessed Merle said.

I crept through the brush and saw a couple guards around them, it would be easy to get it back. The two girls were defenseless, aside from the soldiers around them. But they were inside, and I wasn't.

It was okay though, I had plenty of experience creeping around and getting into places. I moved in closer, and saw a vent on the side of the building. I smiled, perfect. It was up higher then I could reach, but there was a tree next to it.

With a bit of difficulty, even with all my tree climbing experience, I was able to get close enough to use rocks and bash on it that it fell to the ground. I jumped from the tree to the opening and caught the ledge, pulled myself up, and started looking around for the room that those brats were in.

I looked through the openings, just like I had when I would be going through Zaibach. I spotted them, and wondered how I would surprise them from up high.

I stud up as tall as I could, and jumped on the vent opening to the room, and crashed in, landing on a table.

"AHHH!" They screamed, the girls that is, and the guards opened their mouths and lowered their staves and unsheathed their swords.

I jumped off the table, grabbed my bag, nodded to them and bolted. The guards chased after me and jumped over the table.

"OH MY GOSH!!" the girls screamed, crying and hugging each other. I shook my head, it was people like them that the guards before were talking about.

I bolted past people, maids, other guests, and got strange looks from them. I could see why, I mean, I must have looked very weird. A dirty girl, with a patch on her head, probably soaked with blood, and running from guards. I smiled. I loved being me.

I raced up the hall and jumped up the stairs, I had no choice really, the hall just kinda took that turn. I could hear them shouting about how now that I was going up they would catch me for sure. 

I passed more guards on the way, and when they saw the few that were chasing me, joined the pursuit. I was in better shape then they were, but I didn't know where I was going, if I was leading myself up to another training ground with more soldiers or not.

I banked to the right and saw it was a dead end, accept for a window that was in front of me. I ran over to it while putting my backpack on and looked out the window.

Clear water under it. I glanced back and weighed my choices, guards, who were sure to punish me for hurting Allen and Van, and other guards, or, the deep water below me that probably wasn't as deep as I thought.... but then there was also my sister who most likely couldn't wait another day for me to come and save her...

I took a few steps back, and jumped through the window into the clear blue waters below the castle. I straightened out and hoped that when I landed I wouldn't bruise my legs or arms.

I held my breath and plugged my nose, water splashed around me and engulfed my body. I started kicking as I felt the water around me get colder and colder, signaling I was traveling down further then I liked. I used my arms to help get me up faster, and finally came to the surface where I let out what air I had left and took a big gulp of fresh air.

I was proud of myself for getting out of some place that I hadn't known where I was, but there was no time for me to congratulate myself right now, it was getting dark, which ment I only had so much time to find Zaibach and get Marel out.


	10. Zaibach's Worst Enemy part 10

Ziabach's worst enemy!

Part 10

I rung out my clothes. They seemed to keep creating water no mater how many times I did this action, it was like they never got anymore dry, the same with my hair. As much as I would have liked to take a shower and rid my clothes of all the new salty water that had just been splashed into them, I knew I didn't have time. The sun was already at the tops of the hills, which ment my time was running out to prepare.

I couldn't go home to change clothes, but I did have a spare mask in my bag, hidden in a compartment. No one else had a mask like mine, they all had holes for eyes, not a slit just wide enough to go from end to end, and tall enough to cover just under my eyebrows. And they all had a whole for a mouth, my didn't. If I was ever in a fire or something, it would help filter the air I was breathing.

I searched through my bag, I had a couple rocks left, something I could get more easily then not, my dagger, something that was useful, but not a thing I could use to fight Dilandau or Folken with. Although Dilandau was nicer to me, and he did seem to have a touch of a gentle side, he was still part of Zaibach. Making him a ruthless killer. Besides, a man like him who only follows orders is bound to live a short life anyway, and not likely to have nerves for pain. None of them did...

I narrowed my eyes and pulled out my extra mask. I checked to be sure that it had the whole in it for my ponytail, I noticed that having your hair up against your neck while you're fighting can be distracting, and has a tendency to make you hotter, and realize the sweat on your neck. 

I had a couple smoke bombs, good for getting out of tough situations, which I knew would come along the way sooner or later, I was just lucky they hadn't come sooner. And I would be even more lucky if the bombs still worked, considering they were old. Some bandages, just in case I found someone in need of help on my way home. A lighter for the bombs, and extra rope, which I tried to replace more often then not.

Along the way I stopped and picked up some rocks that were about the right size. They were just enough to break a camera lens, and not too heavy, carrying rocks can tend to make a pack weigh more then it should.

I wondered if I should get a bow and arrow, I would have little time to train with it, but I had had some earlier experiences with them, when Joe was obsesses with them. I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought about it.

I decided not to, I was going to have enough trouble getting a sword as it was. I didn't want to steal it, that would make me almost as Bad as the dragon slayers. I checked the front pocket of my bag, I had twenty gold pieces if that. That wasn't really enough to get something. But maybe I could trade the gold with something else to get the sword.

I was just glad that I got it back before those numb skulls Merle and Millernia went through it and got my money, or my mask and dagger.

I slung the pack on my back and headed off. I was going to have enough trouble going through town getting a sword without being noticed. But I hadn't gotten into Zaibach repeatedly for four years without being good at sneaking around. I was pretty confident that I wouldn't be recognized or noticed. If I couldn't find a sword, I might be able to get new clothes, because with all the salt scraping against my skin, it was really hurting, and the salt that had infiltrated my gash on my head was enough to make me run around screaming.Within a few minutes of walking I came to the gate with guards for the market. I nodded at them and they glanced at me for recognition, before I walked into the market. I headed straight for the stand dedicated to swords. They had some fine ones, and I tried not to be so conspicuous as I looked at some and ran my fingers along one of their blades.

It was nice and simple, a mettle blade that was welded into the handle with a great deal of work. the handle was a black with a silver twine around it slowly curling to the top. A beautiful piece of work.

"Hey Girly, are you just here for kicks or what?" The man at the stand asked as he removed the cigar in his mouth.

"How much does this sword cost?" I asked.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're a girl. You can't possibly have the strength to hold the sword and be able to fight with it."

"Who says? And anyway, it's not for me, it's for my brother. His birthday is tomorrow." I said. I had gotten good at telling lies. I wanted to show this man how good I was, but then people might think that I was coming to steal, and that would defiantly attract attention to me, which would bring Allen and Van out. And then I'd be right back where I started, which wouldn't be very good.

"That one? Thirty-six gold pieces." He said, taking a drag from his cigar.I bit my lip. It looked like I was going to have to triad something else after all, that was if he was going to let me take the sword anyway. "I have twenty pieces, and a dagger of good craftsmanship that I can trade for this sword."

He looked as though he was thinking about letting me take it, and then held out his hand to see the dagger I had said I had. 

I dig through my bag, pushing off the extra rocks that I had gathered, and pulled it out. I placed it in his hand and waited for him to look at it. I hoped it was enough to be able to get the sword. As handy as the dagger had been before, I needed the sword more now.

The man took it out of it's sheath and tested the sharpness, the point, and the handle. "You're right, it is a good blade, I would trade you the twenty gold pieces and the blade for the sword. But I don't think that I can." he said. Handing me back the dagger. "Why would a girl have twenty gold and a dagger?" He asked.

I gulped, he was more observant then the others. "My parents were always over cautious, they have me carry them around just in case I get lost or some guy ever tries something."

He eyed me as if testing to see my assurance. I held my gaze and hoped he would by my story. Like I said I was good at lying.

"Get out of here." he said. I looked at him with surprise and raised my eye brows. "Something about you isn't right. Leave now. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's noticed you. A girl, dressed in all black, and dripping wet, wants to buy a sword." He said. "And you've got twenty gold. No normal lady would have that much money, unless they stole, or were royalty. And royalty wears dresses. You're dressed more like a thief then anything else." He said. "So leave before I call the security."

"But Mister!" I started. He stud up and screamed for the security, just like he said he would. "Stop! Stop!" I yelled, he didn't listen though, kept yelling.

I spun around and hoped that I wouldn't have to fight. Then I could defiantly count on Van and Allen coming to get me again, and I couldn't afford that loss of time. Marle was still in Zaibach, and I was sure that she was running out of time faster then I was.

"FINE!" I shouted, and grabbed the sword. "If you're going to report me for something it might as well be good!" I said, and strapped it onto my back and pulled it out, waiting for the guards to come.

I suppose that someone else might have run away from the village, but I wasn't known for running. I got into my fighting position and waited as I saw the crowd start parting because of all the guards and soldiers barging through, pushing people out of the way.

I noticed that I still had the dagger in one hand and hooked it onto my belt, if I ever lost my sword I could at least still injure someone with the dagger, and maybe be able to escape. I could always just barge Zaibach and work on getting Marle out, instead of both of us. Show her the way and then help her down as I held off the soldiers.

Soldiers finally made their way to the front of the crowd, and I probably should have put on my mask, make me less recognizable. But I didn't have time now, and even if I did put it on with everyone watching then they would all know that I was the one who always infiltrated Zaibach.

Allen and Van pushed their way forward. "So, it looks like you're up to no good." Allen said, a smirk on his face.

Of course, he always had to look good for the girls that now surrounded us. "You have no idea why I do the things that I do. Leave me alone, I don't want to have to kill you, considering your purpose is the same as mine." I said, holding out my sword with one hand and tilting it towards his, which was hanging down in his hand.

"You think you could beat me in a duel?!" He asked, almost offended, then started to laugh.

"Well, I beat you in hand to hand didn't I?" I asked. "It's good to see that you don't let pain get in the way as much as Van does." I said. As I smiled, matching his first.

His eyes narrowed and so did Van's. 

"What's wrong? Are you just going to stand there and let me insult you or are you going to try and stop me?" I asked, cockily.

I didn't have to say any more before Allen lost his temper and charged, I dodged easily sliding to the left, he left his back wide open. I didn't really understand why so many people thought he was so good, if it was true that he was supposed to be better then Van then they would never stand a chance against Zaibach, they still had to work a lot on charging and skills.

Allen Spun around and brought his sword with him, trying to slash me across my stomach, but I blocked easily, even though his attack was strong, so was my block. I quickly maneuvered my sword out from under his and barely skimmed his cheek, just deep enough to make it bleed. I had no desire to kill him, even if he was lousy with a sword, he was still someone to stand agaisnt Zaibach.

"Leave me alone, and let me do my job." I said, sheathing my sword as Allen slumped to the ground holding his cheek in total surprise.

Van looked at me as if I was a ghost, or close to it. I shot a cold smile that visibly shook him, and I could hear the other guards behind me and their swords clanging against their legs before the sleek sound of them being drawn. I spun around and using my momentum to Tia kick one of the guards, knocking him back and on his back. I punched the other in the nose, sending him off balance and quickly kicked him in the chin, sending his head back and making him stumble, but by the time that he had regained his balance, I was running towards the opening.

"STOP HER!" Allen screamed, finally able to speak again.

The guards stepped in my way, and I skidded to a stop, they held their spears pointed at me, I smiled, and grabbed the side of one of the booths, lugged myself up and jumped over the side wall, falling the twelve feet, and landing hard on my feet. The pain shot through my legs and wavered my brain, but I had enough sense to start running when I heard the pounding of guards coming after me.

Slowly the clanging of their mettle armor died down and I was able to slow before I collapsed. I knew I probably shouldn't rest, the sun was half way behind the hills, which ment I had only so much time to get to Zaibach before they killed my sister. But if I didn't rest, then going through all this would be a great waist.

I linked my hands behind my head and took a couple deep breaths, until I was sure my heart beat had gone down, or slowed. I looked around and heard a familiar almost soothing noise, the engines of Melefs. Zaibach melefs. I ducked behind a tree and under a crowd of branches, hoping to avoid being seen.They got louder as they got closer, this was perfect, I could follow them back to Zaibach, I didn't really know where it was considering it's always moving. I peered up from underneath the branches to which way they were going. They passed right over me, and I started following them, slowly jogging because of how fast they were going. It was almost like they were looking for something....

Looking for me? How long had I been gone? They were bound to start getting nervous, they had no idea where I was or what I was doing, just like before I got caught and was made a prisoner. Getting captured might be a good idea, at least then I would know I could get there sooner then just running after them. And I would always be able to get away, while I was waiting for Dilandau to come and see me, I could escape.

They were moving slowly, they were defiantly looking. But I wasn't positive it was to find me. They probably though that I might be dead or something. They would stop, and turn, and look around, move some bushes out of the way, and then keep walking.

I decided to have some fun. If I was going to get caught, I might as well spook them or get them frustrated first. I looked around and picked up a stick, I ducked behind a tree and then threw the stick at the Guymellef. I heard the loud 'CLANG' as it smacked against the mettle. The loud pounding as the Guymellef turned around to see who threw what. He looked down and saw the stick lying on the ground. 

"She's here somewhere. Fall out and search carefully. Be observant." I recognized Gatti's voice. And the 'she' gave it up that they were in fact looking for me.

I heard more pounding feet as they moved around and looked everywhere. I glanced around and saw the mettle of a Guymellef foot coming towards me. I grabbed the branch above my head and pulled myself up. With all that was going on and me not sneaking into Zaibach it felt weird to my arms. I kicked of the bark and slid my legs onto another branch near it, and flexed my stomach, pulling me onto it the rest of the way.

I should probably go to Van and Allen and see if they could help me. They had to know by now that I was more then I said I was. Fighting the guards and being able to escape without a scratch on me. And be able to live through a plunge into the deep sea next to the castle ment I was much more then just a girl who worked on a farm.

Lost in my thoughts on weather or not I should go to Van and Allen a hand closed around me forcefully.

"Wah!" I said out of shock. I looked up and saw the stone face of the melef. I gave a playful evil smile "Ohh, so you found me." I said.

"Dilandau-sama, we've got her. we're returning to the vione." A voice said. One of the lower recruits, I knew all the higher people, and this is one I hadn't heard or met.

Well, so much for my plans on going to Van and Allen for some support. It was okay though, now I would just go through with my earlier plan, get in, escape, find Marle, and get her outa there while I held off the guards.

They took off, holding me tightly in the hand of the Guymellef, there was very little room for me to squirm around and act like I wanted to get out, but I seemed to be putting up a good enough act, the boy in the cockpit would occasionally look at me to be sure that I was still there.

When we did get to the vione again, Dilandau was waiting there with two other dragon slayers, Miguel, and Gumiel. I looked more at Miguel then I did at any one else, just to make Dilandau angry. Miguel didn't have a welcoming look on his face, in fact, I couldn't read his face at all. He seemed to be brainwashed, almost. 

The boy in the Guymellef threw me down at Dilandau's feet and I tumbled over to him. The hit on the hard floor wavered me a bit, and instinctively I fought it and quickly got to my feet. Although I didn't fully have my balance, and when I seemed to finally be getting my wits back, the air was knocked out of me and I was sent to the floor again, only this time I was sent away from Dilandau, and skidded across the floor a bit.

I didn't even have time to try and get up before Gumiel and Miguel had their ropes being tied around my hands. "Hey hold on a sec-" I started, but was interrupted.

"Gag her too, I don't want to hear her mouth." Dilandau said, and immediately a piece of cloth was shoved into my mouth and tied behind my head. I tried to talk but the cotton was in the way and it just came out as muffles.

I was lucky that I was ready for anything when Dilandau kicked me, otherwise it might have hurt a lot more then it did.

"Get her to her cell. Folken wants to see her in a half hour. Watch her carefully. I don't know how you got out last time Tora, but you wont this time." he said matter of factually. I rolled my eyes and pulled down the cloth."Pretty boy and draco came to get me stupid. You had better tighten your defenses, if idots like them can get in here I'd hate to see-" I was cut off again by gumiels' hand smacking me across my face, again sending me to the floor. "What's wrong with you people? I'm telling you, if you wanted to keep me out then you'd have to work on more camera's and things, because they were just walking around like any other dragon slayers!" Silenced my Miguels foot painfully smashing into my stomach and making me become winded.

"Get her to her cell now." Dilandau said. I glared up at him one last time before they picked me up off the ground and started me towards my cell.

When we got there they literally threw me into it and I smashed my head against the hard, cold, stone wall. It re-opened the gash in my head and I just slumped down and let the blood travel down my face. I wanted to look horrible when Folken came. But I didn't really understand why Dilandau was acting so cold again. I mean, I thought everything was okay, accept with the whole, him not really knowing what pain was like and everything.

But he was listening and things for a while there. And he even took me into his room so that we could talk about him helping me with my sister.

I wondered what Folken must have done to him this time. Folken has a cold side like I've never seen in a person before. He's handsome yes, and had a kind spot just like anyone else with a soul, and he shows it more often then other people. But he's got a chill to his aura, more so then Dilandau does, and that scares me, just a little, because I don't get frightened.

So, I sit here and wait, with blood dripping down my face, and crouching in the dirt of my cell, while I wait for my chance to escape and break Marle out. I hope it will come soon, Marle must be in desperate need right now.


	11. Zaibach's Worst Enemy part 11

Ziabach's Worst Enemy!

Part 11

They had 3 gaurds next to my cell. And it was an acctual Cell, with Bars and a wooden bed, with only a tattered sheet for a blanket. I sat on the hard bed, looked around, and listened to the dripping of more water in the cell. I spotted a rat munching on a peice of bread and smiled. No matter how rude they were, they managed to feed everything, weather they wanted to or not. fI heard the loud clang of the bars opening. Folken and Dilandau stud there, and they shoved in marel.

"Marel!" I screamed, and ran over to where she landed.

"We've got a proposition for you girl." Dilandau said.

"Oh, what. You can't say my name any more?" I asked, looking up.

"If you manage to beat all of the dragon slayers in high rank, and last against Dilandau for ten minutes, then we'll let your sister go. But you have to stay." Folken said.

"Fight everyone worth fighting and let my sister go." I thought to myself. I looked down at my sister, out cold, with cuts along her cheeks, and a slash on her eyebrow. Not to mention her chin was split open. She must have gone under tremendous pain. "Sounds good to me." I said, then asked, "What are the rules?"

"You get them down on the ground so they can't move for 3 seconds. Or knock them out. And you have to wear this." He signaled to one of the slayers behind him and they came up.

He was carrying a black skirt and black tangtop. If I put the skirt on it would have gone down to my knees.

"You expect me to wear that?" I asked. I had worn dresses before, but not skirts. And it would slow me down, which I knew was what they were going for."Part of the game girly." Dilandau said.

"All right, I accept." I said, setting my sisters head down and taking the clothes while standing. Dilandau gave me a wicked smile before leaving, and Folken with him.

"Follow us." Folken said. I did, they lead me down some halls that I had seen only once or twice before, and didn't know very well. They pointed to a room and then Folken said, "Change in there."

I walked in, and was glad to see no camera's. There were no windows or anything, it was just a blank room, with one light that I had to turn on.

I changed quickly and cursed Dilandau. They were having me wear this because they knew that without sleeves, if I got cut, I would have less protection, and the skirt would slow me down. But I wouldn't let them keep me from helping Marel. I would free her.

I walked out and Folken gave my clothes to another Slayer. It felt weird to have someone carrying around things that you were wearing a few moments before. I caught Dilandau eyeing a scare I had on my arm that I had gotten from a thorn bush while running home. Because of where the thorns were it looked almost like a tattoo.

Folken and Dilandau led me to a room that ended up being like an arena. There was a land spot, and it was circled by rafters, that were filled with dragon slayers, some in yellow, some in blue, some in Green. All from different floating fortresses, all with different commanders. 

My opponent was all ready in the ring. And I wasn't surprised to see it was Gumiel. I laughed and remembered how my brother had once told me there was a slayer that looked like a sheep.

He glared at me, and I looked around like I was bored, watching all the dragon slayers around me. Most of them were booing at me, and I smiled at them to show I didn't care what they thought. They were the bad guy here, I had nothing to hide.

People started cheering and I looked to see Gumiel charging me with his sword out. I dodged easily and flipped back to miss the swing that was coming from him. I landed behind him and kicked him in the back of the neck, making him stumble forward. I put my foot out and he fell on his face, sprawled out, not very graceful looking. I kicked away his sword easily and elbowed him in the Temple.

He scrambled up, just barely missing the timer that had started when he fell. I laughed when he got into a fighting position, but also got into one. He charged again and I side kicked him, using the force of his charge and the strength in my leg, combined, it sent him flying backward, holding his stomach.I ran up and kicked him in the throat, making it hard for him to breath. A simple thing, but very painful. I waited for the timer to go off, and sighed. The match had lasted five minutes, if that. Which was okay, if I was going to fight Dilandau then I was going to need to have lots of energy. He was someone that was challenging.

The crowed booed as Gumiel stud up and slumped away, defeated. I laughed again and watched as Dallet came out. Dallet and Gumiel slapped hands and Dallet nodded to Gumiel before turning to me and walking to the line. He didn't glare, but I knew he was expecting a good fight, and he should.

I remember once I went up against him before, he had caught me up against the wall when they were coming to our town for supplies again. I was desperate and couldn't think of anything to do, and he was knocking me over and making me spill everything I was carrying in the bowl. I got sick of that and finally grabbed a stick off the ground and shoved it in his biceps. He didn't like that and the result was me getting whipped by him, Gumiel, and some other who I don't know.

But I was happy anyway. He had to go to critical care and spent the next two months rebuilding the muscle, and then he had to visit the medical wing every day to be treated for the infection that the splinters had caused him when he pulled the sick out.

Only thing I regretted about that was the pain of the whipping and after wards I had to hide until I was pretty sure that Gatti had forgotten what I looked like. Although I am clueless as to how someone could forget a girl shoving a stick into your arm and not have her face etched preeminently into your mind.

I think he had nightmares about me too. Little did he know that it was going to happen again. Maybe not with a stick, but he would feel pain.

Lost in my memory of thoughts, I just barley had time to dodge out of the way before he drove his sword into my stomach. I shoulder-rolled out of the way of the deadly blade. It caught my heal and drew blood. He would pay for that.

I spun around, jumped up, and on my way down I kicked him in the jaw, I heard a sickening crack and Dallet fell to the ground. The timer started, and then stopped when he got up. His Chin was red, and blood was starting to dribble from his mouth.

I felt a pang of regret, he was obviously in pain, but not the way I wanted him to be. I wanted him to know that he had done something wrong. I wanted him to know I was the girl he whipped and then forgot. I wanted to show him how much better I was then he. 

I charged, faster then he thought anyone could, except maybe Dilandau, and side kicked him in the stomach while he was still surprised I was so close in such short amount of time. 

He flew back and hit the wall, I didn't notice that I had been chasing him back to almost retreating. His back cracked against the hard wood, and he made a small indentation. He fell limply on the ground, but I wasn't waiting.

"You!" I shouted. He looked up and saw me coming, just barley missing him as my foot crunched into the ground. "Three years ago you whipped me for shoving a stick in your ARM!!!" I screamed, I wasn't going to let him leave without telling him who I was.

"That was YOU?!" He asked, surprised, and caught off guard I punched him in the gut, right below where his ribs met and it was relatively tender. (If you put two fingers there and press in it hurts, so imagine what it must feel like for poor Dallet. -_- )

Dallet couldn't take anymore, and collapsed on the ground, he nearly threw up, but was able to stop before he did. The timer started, and I turned my back to walk back to the line for the next match.

I heard the crowed cheering, turned around, and was surprised that Dallet was on his feet, charging at me. He was only about five feet away, and with my quick reflexes and thinking, I brought my foot up and kicked him as hard as I could, in the gut. Now that alone would have been enough to stop him, but since he was running, quickly, the forces combined finally made him collapse, and this time, he did throw up. I almost felt sorry for him. 

Viole and Chesta rushed out, carried Dallet in, and then Chesta turned to face me, walked up to the line, and stood there, obviously he was the next I had to fight. 

Originally I was supposed to fight Viole next, but since Dallet was now in such bad shape I guess I got/had to skip him, which I had nothing against really. Although I would like to show all of them that I was the best that they would ever meet, besides Dilandau.

Not to shoot myself down or anything, but I could only beat him if I was in the mood for revenge, and right now I wasn't in the mood for him. I was in the mood to get my sister out of here. So I would, and I wouldn't let anyone stand next to me while I was doing it. I was going to do it on my own, with no help from anyone.

Chesta didn't charge, I knew what he was doing. He had watched me fight the others, and had noticed their mistake. He knew I let them choose to charge, not me. But it was all right, even though I was more used to people attacking first, I could change, and be the one who took on their position.

Or I could just wait until he got sick of waiting and charged.

But I didn't want to take that long, I wanted Marel away from these people as quickly as possible. She was probably going to have nightmares about being locked up in the dark rooms and being beaten just because she was my sister, which was not fair at all.   
I charged.

Chesta was waiting for me to, and when I did he slid to the side easily, just like I would, but I was counting on that. I stuck my foot out and cut to the side, tackling him to the ground, me on top, him on the bottom. Since he was down on the floor it counted, and the timer started. I punched him twice in the nose, but he literally threw me off, and I landed hard on my back.

He kicked me in the gut, and I scrambled up quickly before he could step on me again. I spun around backwards and kicked him using the momentum of my movements. I cracked him in the jaw in sent his head back, he stumbled, but didn't fall, which was expected, since he was higher in rank he was bound to be able to take more hits then the others, such as Gumiel, Dallet, and Viole.While he was rubbing his mouth I took another advantage, jumped up, put my hands on his shoulders, and flipped over. When I was on my way down I back kicked him in his spine and sent him sprawling to the ground in total surprise.The timer started again.

I jumped on him and punched him in the throat, 2......1...... BEEEP.

I won again. I stud and walked back to the line, the fights were getting longer and longer, but that was all right, I was focused on not getting hurt and keeping my energy up, which I would do, and was doing at the present moment.

I waited as Miguel walked out and stud on the line. He had his sword still on his side, and didn't draw it until Chesta was off the field. I waited, he waited, Miguel was doing the same thing that Chesta was doing, they must have all been watching me from inside the room behind the stadium walls. They were observing how I fought, but that was okay, I had seen them fight the first and only time I was able to walk around Zaibach freely.

Miguel did fancy things with the sword, he'd twist it to make his sparring partner loose their grip so that they'd be defencless. But it wasn't fair that he had a sword and I had nothing to fight with besides my hands. But that would be enough, I wouldn't let him beat me.

We sat and waited for each other to make a move, neither of us took a step towards the other, both waiting, both thinking of strategies to use against our opponent. 

Finally, a break I was waiting for. A gust of wind came in from open doors to help the room from getting over heated. Miguel shut his eyes for a second to keep them from watering, but it didn't matter, I was all ready there, sailing through the air, and when his eyes finally did open the first thing they saw was my heal.

It smashed into Miguels nose, crushed it, and he fell backwards onto the ground. I took no time in kicking him in the throat. But when I tried to do it a second time he caught my foot and twisted it, making me twirl in the air and land on my stomach in order to stop the cranking from breaking my ankle.

With me on the floor next to him, it left me wide open, especially since I was on my stomach. Miguel grabbed my arms and put his foot in the center of my spine, pulling my arms back, and over stretching my shoulders.

I glanced at the timer, it just struck 2. I had one more second to get out of this position before the timer went off and I lost the ability to help Marel. I adapted to the position, I swung my leg up and knocked the back of his knee, making it collapse. Then I braced myself for pain and I pulled down on his arms and rolled. 

He fell on me, but because I was rolling he ended up on bottom. He released my hands and I grabbed his head and smashed it into the ground, twice. Causing much pain and probably a concussion. Which was a pity, because I liked Miguel, he would have been considered a friend had he not been part of Zaibach and hadn't torched my house and village.

I punched in his nose again and was scared when I found it didn't have the strength it did when my ankle crashed into it. I probably shattered a bone or two in his nose. I didn't want to make him hurt that much.

The timer went off and again, Viole rushed out, he kicked me off without mercy and Gatti came running out to help carry him.

Miguel was unconscious however, and his eyes closed made him look almost dead. I felt a pang in my heart of concern for him, but he was a dragon slayer, he'd make it. I watched, still on the ground from when Viole kicked me off of Miguel.

Gatti didn't wait for anything, he made sure that Viole could get him in safely, then spun around, grabbed my by my throat and hoisted me up two inches off the ground.

"Why did you do that?!" He asked, very, very angry and a glint of hatred in his eyes.=

"I'm sorry! But I have to look out for Marel." I said, choking. "I didn't mean to knock him out, just keep him on the ground until the timer went off!"

Gatti threw me to the ground and I landed badly on my wrist. He walked to his line and waited for me to get to mine. I slowly stud up, rubbing my hands on my neck and looked over as I stud on my line.

By taking position, I was giving Gatti a reason to hate me, if he didn't all ready for hurting his friend so much. Not to mention Dallet, or maybe even Gumiel, but he must be totally appalled by now.

I wasn't going to attack this time, I would let him have the honors, and I didn't have to wait too long before Gatti came charging. He faked attacking one way and then attacked another, punching me in the stomach hard, sending me stepping backwards.

He side kicked me in the gut, and made me hit the wall. I moved out of the way of his incoming punch and tripped over his foot. I was falling for everything he was planning. He had been watching me closely, and knew how I would move and when.

I turned around to face him and caught his next punch, knocking it into the wall, which left him with one arm for defense against my four limbs. I pretended to punch, and instead round kicked him in the side, then elbowed him in the nose.

He denied my next kick and blocked my in coming fist, he Tai Kicked me into the wall, knocking my air out, and put a hand roughly on my shoulder before sticking out his foot and pushing me to the side, tripping on it and falling to the floor.

The timer started.

Gatti was acting like this was second grade for a highschooler! I finally got sick of it and hooked on foot on his ankle, the other on his thigh, and twisted, sending him to the floor next to me.

He grabbed my hair and hit my head against the wall several times before I was able to get out of his grasp and stand up, just as the timer would have hit 3 seconds, but Gatti was all ready standing.

Quickly I took his surprise about me standing and tai kicked him, making him crash into the wall and hit his head. I punched him as his eyes closed to help the impact, and the twirled my foot around the back of his knee. I hit him in the chest with my elbow to send him to the ground with pain.

I placed my foot on his throat and pressed down gently to keep him there for the three seconds I had to for the timer to go off. He was rubbing where I hit him when he stud up. He nodded recognition to me and then walked off the field.

Time to fight Dilandau. But the question was, would I be able to last ten minutes against him if I could hardly keep my wits about me while fighting Gatti? I hoped so, because Marel's life might depend on it.


	12. Zaibach's Worst Enemy! part 12

Ziabach's Worst Enemy!

Part 12

My nerves took a jump. Dilandau was next! I had finally gotten this far... now all I had to do was either win, which was slim, or stand against him for ten minutes... could I do that? The answer? Yes. Yes I could do that. I had to do that. What would they do to me if I didn't? Kill me?I decided not to worry about it. I sat down on my knees and started to mediate. There was no reason to get all worked up, I might start shaking, and then what would I do when I hit him? Mess up? Leave myself open?

I cleared my mind and just pictured my sister. She would have the best time just running around with our dog and cleaning the floors. She'd run around with the rag between her hands making rows and rows of clean streaks on the dirt-covered floor. She was so fun to watch!

My heart swelled and it seemed like my sore legs, swollen lip, and pounding head all disappeared. 

A whistle sounded and I looked up to hear a large amount of Cheers erupting and Dilandau stepping onto the platform. He stood tall and proud. He narrowed his eyes at me and waited. I stood and looked at him.

I became nervous once again. Not only that I might fail Marel, but that I also might hurt him. I silently chided myself while keeping eye contact with Dilandau. I wasn't going to worry about him; he wasn't worrying about me after all.

I got into fighting stance. He followed suit. People cheered. He didn't move, and neither did I. We stood like that for about a minute, I checked the clock. Nine minutes to go. Finally, when I looked back, Dilandau was moving. It seemed as though he was trying to waist time too. But for what?

He approached me quickly, I didn't move until the last second that I could. Jumping to the left, I held out my foot, but he jumped over. He turned and kicked me in the solorplex, I fell to the ground and he jumped on top. But I wasn't about to let him beat me so soon. I straightened my hand and shoved it into his neck. He choked and I rolled him off, jumping up, I kicked him in the stomach and the ribs.

He rolled, and people started yelling for him to get up. It had been two seconds. When it reached three I couldn't believe it, but no timer went. I looked around confused. Dilandau stud and upper-cutted me, making me bite my lip and sending me into the wall.

He came up face to face with me, and grabbed my arms, pinning them to my body. He punched me hard in the stomach. "Confused? They lengthen the time to five seconds." He said before hitting me in the cheek.

I kneed him in the stomach right below the ribs and pushed him away. He smiled maliciously.

"Why? Didn't think that I could last for ten minutes?" I asked.

"Well, that could be, and the fact that people are not allowed to use weapons now. When our muscles get beet-" he cut off as he spin behind me and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back. "It's harder to move around and things." He said, starring at me.

"Well thanks for the health lesson, but I knew that all ready. I am a fighter!" I said, punching him in the nose, he dropped me and my head landed on his feet. I did a backwards summer sault and kicked the bottom of his jaw, and used my legs to push him down, pinning him on the ground.

He took his index finger and his middle finger and shoved them into the muscle in my leg.

"Ah!" I screamed, and rolled off. Pressure points sucked, which is what he just did. He almost split the muscle from the bone, which would have rendered me helpless to move around and stand, leaving me to just lie there while the time ticked away.

Dilandau rolled over me; he grabbed my hair and began to jam my head into the ground over and over again. My vision became fuzzy and black dots began to swim before my eyes like they were floating.

I reached over and elbowed Dilandau in the temple, or I aimed for the temple, but since I was moving and I couldn't really see, I ended up getting him in the jaw. I punched him so hard in the stomach it felt as though my fist was going to go right through his stomach.

I kicked him off me and sent him about two feet away. I jumped up, looking at the clock I saw it read four seconds. That was close. I couldn't let him do it again.

I stood on him for a second, jumping on his stomach, he turned quickly and I fell backwards, not expecting it, I landed badly on my wrist. I kicked him again in the spine, keeping him on the ground before standing.

I got ready for fighting again. I let him stand, glancing at the clock again I saw it read 6:27. About four more minutes to go. My stomach jolted again. I Tai kicked Dilandau as soon as he stood.

I heard people shouting at me and booing. Some people were yelling, "She should get penalized for that!" and other was shouting, "Come on Dilandau! She's ONLY A GIRL!"

My eyes narrowed and I became very angry. I jumped up; putting my feet together, my heals both smashed into Dilandau's nose.

He stumbled back and fell. More Bo's and angry yelling, but one really stud out, "Dilandau! Use this!" I looked around, and saw a dagger land blade-into the ground.

I ran over, but Dilandau was up behind me, when I was reaching down to get it he swung his leg under mine, I tripped and almost landed on it. I watched as Dilandau picked it up, and everyone, _everyone_ stopped as I turned over and looked at Dilandau, he raised it above me, but didn't bring it down. Instead, he threw it into the wall.

"Who threw that into the ring?!?!!" He asked, if there was someone whispering they sure weren't now. "Someone had better come forth otherwise We'll just stand here and let the time tick away! She'll win! If she lasts for ten minutes then she wins! SO WHO THREW IT?!"

No one moved. No one blinked each hoping that whoever threw it would come forth, and the one who threw it hoping someone else would take the blame. I wasn't just going to let the time go, me on the floor, and it being announced that I won because the time was up, just because Dilandau wouldn't do anything but look around the crowds.

I stud, brushing myself off and whipping the blood that had slowly dripped from my broken lip. I looked at the clock, 4:32.

"Hey Dilandau. It doesn't matter. If we're going to fight, then lets fight." I said. He looked down at me, when he didn't move, I did. I jabbed him in the nose, he looked surprised, but smiled, nodded, and we got into our fighting stances.

He side kicked, I dodged, swept my foot under his, and he tripped. I brought my leg down on his face and my heal split his eyebrow open. He grabbed my foot and twisted, forcing me to flip in the air and land next to him.

He elbowed me in the stomach. I coughed. He was hitting harder. I punched him in the ear, really hard, he gripped it and we stood at the same time.

We stood, trading blows, each one getting stronger and stronger, My lip broke open again, his cheek began getting bruised, we'd dodge some, kick some, but what came to a shock to me, was that it seemed as though Dilandau was getting tired of just wasting time. Finally, he pushed me up to the wall, knocked my head into it, really hard, making me black out for a second, and the his foot met with my forehead, knocking it into the wall as hard as could possibly be.

All the pain from the fight finally came to me. My muscles couldn't lift my bodyweight, my eyes couldn't open, and I heard the timer go off, that was it. I had lost. I had let Marel down...

"Tora... Tora...Tora..." I slowly opened my eyes, Viole was standing there, I saw the clock, for me being on the ground first, it said four seconds, and then I looked at the other clock, it said ten minutes! I did it! I won.... I won....

My mind became cluttered, I looked over and saw Dilandau on the ground, just as exsausted as I was, but everyone was crowding me. I closed my eyes and slipped into darkness.

***

I woke in the hospital wing. Gatti was helping Viole wrap my leg. They didn't seem to notice that I had woken yet. My head was pounding and I could have sworn I had a concussion. I moved my hand to the back of my head and let out a soft whimper.

Gatti's head jerked in my direction. He smiled, as if he couldn't have been more relieved about anything in his whole life. "Tora..." He said sighing.

Viole looked up and saw I was awake. "Oh good. Everyone was worried you wouldn't wake up and that you might have slipped into a coma." He said, walking to my head. I didn't say anything but watched him. He dabbed the dressing they had put on my eyebrow and brought my hand down from my head.

"Where is she?" I asked, looking at both of them.

"Well that gets rid of my next question, 'do you remember anything'." Viole said.

"They're going to give her to Van and Allen tomorrow night. They agreed to take her once they noticed that you were telling the truth. Of course we didn't tell them that you were the spy. It would have been too embarrassing for us; they still think that you're a farm-girl going to get your sister who was kidnapped. We said that we agreed to take you instead, since you're older and we can use you for more things." Gatti explained.

"Oh great. Now they think that I'm going to be a cook for my enemy." I said, rolling my eyes. 

"Well, it works for you too. You don't want people knowing that you're the one who's always infiltrating us. You could be killed for knowing the things you know and being able to fight." Viole said shrugging. 

"Yeah, I guess..." I said.

"You should get some rest, you took a very long beating." Gatti said, and walked over to the bed beside me. I watched them start tending to Dilandau before I took their advise and fell back to sleep.

***

When I finally woke again, I was in a room on a bed, and food was next to me. I looked at it for a while. 'Have they all ready let Marel go? Did I miss my chance to say goodbye?' I wondered while sitting up and taking the glass of water.

It just struck me how dry my throat felt. I gulped down half the water before the door slid open, and I looked through the bottom of the glass to see Dilandau standing there. I took one more gulp before setting the glass down and waiting for him to explain himself.

"Feeling any better?" He asked, stepping in and letting the door close behind him.

"A little bit. I think my head caved in from that last blow you landed on my head though." I said, still watching him. He smiled and walked over.

"Here." He said, handing me a piece of paper and a pen.

"What?" I wondered.

"You can write a letter to your sister before we let her go tonight." He said.

I looked up at him in amazement. "Why can't I talk to her face to face?" I asked.

"Because then you'd start to cry. I didn't think you'd want your sister to have her last image of you with tears streaming down your cheeks." He smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so..." I said. "When you give her to Van, will you hand her right to them? Or will you make her go through the castle and everything?""We'll give her directly. She'll be sleeping." He explained.

I nodded, and began to write.

Marel,

I'm sorry I'm not there to explain all this in person, but I probably can't leave this room while I'm recovering. I'm sorry I didn't realize that you were in Zaibach sooner, but they had me locked in a room like you and I only just got out when I saw you. The two people taking care of you now kidnaped me.

But don't worry, they're good. They thought I was part of Zaibach because I was walking around without anyone guarding me. Ask them sometime, they'll tell you the story, or what they know of it anyway. They were knocked out half the time. The one with the red shirt is Van, he's king of Finallia, and Allen, he's a knight. They're both relatively good swordsmen, if you ask them, I'm sure they could give you some lesions.

You don't need to worry about me; I'll be okay. I'm just glad that you're in good hands, and I'm sorry that I took so long. Don't come to get me, it's part of the deal. I have to stay here so that you can stay out there.

Don't try going home, we don't have one. Zaibach burned it. But I'm sure if you look around you can find people who lived there with us. They couldn't have destroyed the whole town. I'm so sorry about that too... It's my fault. I can't tell you everything, but I was able to escape from Zaibach and run away. They were following me, but I didn't know, so when I found our house, they destroyed it. They made me watch, and I thought that everyone was dead. So right now, you're probably going to be the only one to pass on our family's history.Don't come to get me. I'll be fine. Some of the guards here really aren't that bad, like Miguel or Gatti. So I won't be lonely. Please try to make new friends and start over. I know it's going to be hard, but try. Please.I love you.

Tora

"Here." I said, folding the letter and handing it to Dilandau. He nodded, putting it into his pocket. "Why are you letting me write to her?"

"So she knows everything. We're not going to explain anything, and Van and Allen only know that she's an orphan and her sister is a slave for Zaibach." He said.

"I am not going to be a slave thank you." I said defiantly.

He smiled. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "Yeah, we know. But that's what they think."

"So, what am I going to do while I'm here?" I asked, standing and walking around and looking at the things surrounding me.

He shrugged. "I dunno. Ask Folken-sama."

"Oh you're a great help Dilandau." I said sarcastically.

Great so, I had my letter to my sister written, explaining as much as I could without giving too much away, now I just had to see what 'great' things Zaibach had in store for me.

"Is Marel okay?"

"Oh yeah, she's fine. Last thing I heard she was watching with a gaping mouth." He said.

"Why?" I asked.

Dilandau walked over to the door and opened it. "Because we let her watch the fights." He stepped out of the room and then I was the one standing with a 'gaping' mouth.


	13. Zaibach's Worst Enemy! part 13

Ziabach's Worst Enemy! Part 13

I lay quietly in my bed. My hands tightly clutched the soft sheets that covered my bed and cuddled my head. My closed eyes slowly dripped tears my face refused to feel as they fell onto my delicate pillow. I was lost in a sea of memories, all containing my family.

I remembered how Ayla would stand in front of the mirrors in town and flick her hair. How she would so delicately bat her eyes to get the merchants to drop the price of soil an extra fifteen cents or so. I remembered her laugh while flirting with some guy. She was such a tease.

I remembered my father. He was always so strong and patient. He hardly ever lost his temper. He never used a whip on the horses as they drew the carriage containing himself and Joe. He never took of his wedding ring.

Matt, probably my favorite brother, my favorite family member actually. I remember when he first started teaching me how to fight my self-defense anyway. He had to patience when it came to getting distracted. I'd look up to the sky and see the birds flying overhead, and Joe to reach out his hand and lightly smack me on my cheek to get my attention. I got most of my discipline from him. I might start to cry (remember, this is when I was only about eight) and he would pick me up and say "stop crying. No one cares." It seemed a little mean at the time, but it got me to harden my heart and self-conscience. We had a lot of laughs.

Jake, good'ol Jake. I never really got to see him. Sometimes I would come downstairs for a glass of water or something, and he'd be arriving home from a party of some sort. We would sit and talk a little. I remember one of the questions he always asked was "Are there any guys giving you grief? Because if there are, I'll go beat them right now." I laughed at the memory. 

And Janus. Strong Janus. He would always carrying the vegetables and worked the most. Maybe even more then dad. Sometimes I'd come and help him transport some of the food, and we'd get to talk. It was always the same as it was with Jake. "Anyone bothering you?" How protective he was.

Joe. He had a way of growing on you. Although we never really talked, you got to miss him when he was gone. The fact that he wasn't there when he was sick or something… you were always just so used to him being there with you. It was odd when he disappeared. 

Schala, the bossy little brat that could never fail to get on your nerves. It was always okay though. She did a good job of bossing. I laughed. Thanks to her our shipment was always on time. I don't know how she did it, but we were always organized. 

Marel… I wondered how she was doing? Were Van and Allen taking good care of her? I hoped so. She used to do the craziest things. She would just burst out screaming something, or sometimes she would twist her face to make these really weird expressions. I laughed. She was so funny! I saw her in my minds eye, crippled on the floor, her ankle twisted in it's weird position. 'Oh god. I'm so sorry Marel' I thought to myself, feeling the tears begin to pour down my face again.

And for the first time in a long while, I thought of my mother. I didn't really remember her. What few pictures I had of her in my memory were a little fuzzy and unconnected. I remember she had eyes green as sapphires, and her hair was like golden straw. I don't know why, but one thing that always stuck in my mind was that she smelled like lilies. She was the only person I knew that did. I was only about two when she had left, but I remembered some things about her. She would throw me onto my bed and then jump on and join me. We would have jumping contests, to see who could last longest. She always won. 

The door slid open, knocking me from my thoughts. I sat up immediately, forgetting to wipe my tears before looking to see who was there.

"Tora?" Miguel asked, looking. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, rubbing my eyes. "What's going on?" 

"I brought you some breakfast. Dilandau-sama figured you wouldn't want to have to come out of your room to eat." He walked over and sat it down on the vanity that was next to the bed. "What's wrong?" He asked.

I took my eyes up from the blue and white-stripped sheets. "Do you think they'll take good care of her Miguel?" I asked. 

"You're sister?" He asked. I nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean, they don't get a reputation like theirs for being people like us." He said. I stayed quiet. "Eat Tora." He left the room.

I looked blankly at the food he had on the tray, but instead I turned over on the bed, pulled the covers of my head, and slipped back into a light sleep.

***

I leapt awake when I heard the door slid open. Looking to the mettle contraption I saw Dilandau standing there. 

"Hi." I said plainly, not bothering to sit up.

"How are you doing?" He asked, walking over. I felt rage suddenly burn into my heart. How could he ask that? My family was gone, my sister in the care of someone I don't even really know, my town a pile of ashes, and my swords master a rotting corpse in some piece of poor soil. 

I jumped up and punched him, hard. His head snapped back.

"How am I doing?!" I repeated his question. "How the hell can you ask that?! Do you have any idea what you and your damn company have done to my life?!" I asked, furious. 

He looked back at me and smacked me back. I stumbled. I wasn't in the mood to fight. I also wasn't in the mood to get beat around. "You're the one who started to infiltrate us. You're the one who challenged us in your village. You're the one who ran to your home and accepted the proposal to imprison yourself here if we would let your sister go." He said, his voice cold as ice. 

"I did what I had to do." I said, standing up straight. "I'm not someone to stand around and let other get pushed around, or get pushed around by others." I said. I punched him again, and as his head moved to the side, my foot came and knocked his skull, sending his head in the other direction and tumbling to the ground. "Don't your DARE try and pin this on me! Your company started taking over towns. YOUR company started MURDERING people because of some orders. YOUR company took a LITTLE girl to lure me in!!" I screamed. I jumped on him, forcing him back to the ground. 

My knuckles met with his jaw again. His elbow came in contact with my temple. I fell to the ground in a daze. My knee came up and met with his solarplex as he tried to leap onto me. I saw his face wince in pain as he managed to get another breath in before his muscles contracted and would stop him from breath. I got up and kicked him in the head. He grabbed my foot and pulled me down. My head bounced on the ground as I fell, causing my eyes to loose focus for a second. I felt my head snap to the side as his fist smashed my cheekbone. His hands were on my shoulders, forcing me to stay on the ground. I looked up and wasn't surprised to see him sitting on me. His knee's were on either side of my torso and his feet came back and hooked onto my legs, restricting any possibility that I might be able to kick up and knock him in the back of his head. I struggled to get my arms free, but he just grabbed them and crossed them over my chest, holding them there with his hands. 

"Tora, calm down." He said as a piece of his hair fell in front of his face.

"Let me up!" I screamed in fury. I could feel my anger changing to frustration as he shook his head. "Let GO!" I screamed. I felt tears spring to my eyes with annoyance. I kept struggling as he held my down. I screamed. I screamed loudly. My voice echoed off the walls. My annoyance changed to sorrow. I allowed my tears to spill down the side of my head and my arms to stop struggling. I lied on the ground crying, my cheek on the cold floor. 

Dilandau got up off my stomach and pulled me into a sitting position and hugged me. He held one arm around my waist and the other in the middle of my back, holding me to him. My hands gripped his shirt as I sobbed into his shoulder. "It's all gone." I said through gasps for air. "Everything I've worked for… it's all gone." I whispered. 

I felt exhausted. I stopped crying after a while and allowed Dilandau to stroke my hair, calming me. "Come on." He said, and picked me up, bridal style. I folded in his arms. He walked over to the bed and set me down gently.

I watched as he sat down next to me. His hand reached up and stoked my face. "I don't want to hear you say you've lost everything." He said.

"But I have." I said. I shook my head. This wasn't like me. I'm a warrior. I don't sulk and cry. "It doesn't matter." I said. I sat up. "Thanks Dilandau. I know it's not like you to do something like that." I said. 

"Tora, even the strongest people don't get over something like what you've gone through that quickly." He said. 

"I'm fine." I said. "I'm sorry I attacked you. It isn't you I should be mad at… it's Folken." I said. Anger flurried up in me again. "He did it all. He did everything." I looked at Dilandau, my eyes burning with hatred. 

"Tora, stay calm." Dilandau said. 

"I'm calm." I said, but in my mind a million ways to kill Folken ran through my head. If I could just get my sword…

"Tora, don't even think about attacking Folken-sama." Dilandau's voice interjected to my thoughts. 

"Why not? He's done everything he could to damage me. Why can't I do I to him? Just once?" I asked. "He killed my swords master, he ordered you to burn my home and murder my family, he held Marel here to bribe me into staying. What else could he possibly do to damage me more?" I asked. 

"Tora…" Dilandau's didn't know what to say. He smiled and his hand came and stroked my face again. As his hand touched my skin I felt my anger begin to melt away. "God how I love your spirit." He leaned in and kissed me. My eyes slid closed as I allowed him to hold my lips with his. They slowly crept open when he finished. He slid his fingers through my hair and smiled as he leaned in again and kissed me once more. My hand came up and rested on his neck as we kissed. I pulled back, ending the moment. 

"Wow. This is really confusing." I said, and I laughed.

"Why?" Dilandau smiled.

"Well, because I always hated you for 'killing Master Magus', and now we're sitting here…" I said. I laughed again. 

"I didn't expect this to happen either." He said. "I know that there has always been something about you that caught my attention. Ever since we first caught you on film, a second before you broke the camera lens, I always wondered what it would be like to hold you, like we did on the floor over there." He said, pointing with his eyes. 

I raised my eyebrows. "Dilandau, are you actually being romantic?" I asked in a teasing voice.

"Are you saying I couldn't be if I tried?" He asked.

"All I'm saying is that the chance is slim." I smiled cockily. He laughed and kissed me again. "Do you remember when I first kissed you?" I asked,

He nodded.

"It wasn't because I wanted to surprise you for once." I said. "Well, that was part of the reason." I said.

He thought. "A mutual attraction from the very beginning." 

I pretended to be shocked. "That was a complicated word Dilandau!" I said. He smiled and shook his head, knowing I was being sarcastic. 

"I've got to go. We start training soon." He said. He got up and started to leave. He turned and looked at me, walked back, and planted another kiss on my lips before leaving the room. 

I slipped back under the covers and smiled.

**Two months pass**

BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP!!

"Eh?" I asked, looking to the flashing white light in my room. My door slid open. 

"Tora, come on." Gatti said, running over and grabbing my wrist before I had time to do anything. He jerked me out of bed and hauled me down the hall.

"Hey, wait a second, what's going on?" I asked, not bothering to make him stop. If he wanted to move me then fine, if he was this worried something must have been wrong, and I wasn't about to stop him when there was something going down in Zaibach.

"Intruders are here." Was all he said.

Ahead I heard swords clanging. A small scream escaped from someone's lips, and I could see smoke coming from the hall ahead of us. Gatti quickly turned around, still grasping my wrist tightly and began to run in the other direction. 

"Wait a minute!" I screamed, looking back. I saw a slayer fall to their knee's, and sparks coming from the two swords clashing together. 

"Keep moving Tora!" Gatti screamed, jerking me forward again. We ran down several halls until he shoved the both of us into a room and locked the door. He turned on a single light and we sat waiting.

"So, what are we hiding from?" I asked.

"I told you, intruders came. I was assigned to come get you and keep you safe." Gatti explained.

"Keep me safe, or stop me from escaping with the infiltrators?" I asked.

"Pick one." He shrugged. I laughed and he smiled. 

A few minutes later a calm voice came onto the intercom. "Return to your stations. The spy's have been caught." 

Gatti nodded and stud up, unlocking the door he took my wrist again. We walked down the hallways and I was about to return to my room when Dilandau came running down the hall.

"Tora!" He said. "You have to come." He said.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Give her to me Gatti." Dilandau said.

"Yes Dilandau-sama." Gatti released my wrist and Dilandau took my hand. "Return to your post." He said. Gatti bowed and left. 

Dilandau didn't waist time breaking into a run and leading me to the prison. I saw two dragon slayers holding someone, and Folken was there. Folken. I hadn't seen him since the fights that imprisoned me here. I felt my rage burning up. I still hated him for everything he did. 

Folkens's eyes flicked up to Dilandau, and then to me. "Why did you bring her?" he asked.

"She has a right to see." Dilandau said. 

I didn't wait for them to continue the conversation; I walked in and saw whom they were holding captive. When my eyes fell on her face I felt my heart stop as my mouth dropped open. 

"Marel?!" I asked. She looked up to me and smiled. 


	14. Zaibach's Worst Enemy! part 14

Ziabach's Worst Enemy!

Part 14

"Marel!? What are you doing here?!" I demanded. I looked to Dilandau, who stared at me. "Why is she here?"

"I came to get you." Marel's voice came in. I looked down to her.

"Why? I told you, I have to stay." I said.

"You got me out, so I have to get you out." She said.

"Well, a fine job you did." I said sarcastically. She looked around and noted the two guards around her, then looked up to me and gave me a look with a mix of amusement and a form of betrayal. I turned to Folken, and bit down my anger. Oh, what I would have given to strike him at that moment. How I wanted to reach out and just smack him across the face. "I demand that you let her go." I said.

"And let her become as much of a threat to Zaibach as you have?" he asked, a tone of mockery clearly ringing in his voice. "Never." He said, staring at me.

I narrowed my eyes. I had not done it in a while, as there was no need, and the action seemed unpracticed and foreign. "It's part of the deal. Or if you insist on her staying then I believe that gives me the right to go free." I said. "So, who would you rather contain, my sister or me?" I asked.

He looked at me, testing my strength in the matter. "We'll hold both of you." He said. He spoke to the guards, although his eyes still tried to pierce mine, although I remained unaffected. "Tie her up and take her to a cell."

I stood for a moment, a little surprised. I turned quickly and allowed my foot to fly out and knock the first guard in the temple, knocked him out of course. As he tumbled to the sandy-covered ground I grasped the hilt of the sword, dragged it out swiftly, and spun quickly, placing the tip of it at Folken's neck. "Let me say again. I DEMAND you release her." I said. He stared at me, surprised at my quick movements. 

To be honest I had been rather shocked I could still move as quickly, considering as how I had not needed the skills to fight anyone anymore. Although sometimes I did ask to spar with Dilandau, who was now standing, waiting, in the corner of the cell by the door. He made no move to come and help Folken, although he did speak. "Tora, don't do anything drastic." He said.

I was so close. I had the blade to his throat; I could so easily just kill him here. I could so easily put my quest of revenge to rest, so easily encase my family's memory in a crystal ball of happiness. I was so close. So close…

I edged the tip of the sword closer to his airway, the tip placed upon his flesh. "Well?" I asked. He moved. His mettle hand emerged and grabbed the sword, bending it—BENDING the mettle, pulling me towards him and then kneeing me in the solarplex and shoving down upon my shoulder to force me to the ground. 

I didn't stay down for long however. I grabbed his knees and squeezed them together as my shoulder rammed into his stomach and I pushed against him. He fell of course, and I scrambled on top of him, grasped the sword from his hand that had opened on account of his surprise, and placed the now bent, but still ever-so-sharp blade to his neck once more. "Release her." I said one last time.

He watched me for a little, and when I slid the blade across his neck a little to cut his skin and draw blood he was surprised. I set my fingers on his neck so they gathered some of the blood and then I showed it to him. "See? I can kill you and then we can both escape, or you can make a decision now and decide to release one of us." I said.

"Dilandau, release Marel." Folken said right away. Obviously they still thought that I was too much of a threat, not to mention I had practically just killed him. That was dangerous for them too.

Dilandau moved swiftly in taking Marel from the cell. The guards that had once been watching my sister now came and lifted me from Folken, as the one whom I'd knocked out had awoken. I tossed the sword down, and when I turned to leave the cell my eyesight was flooded with the picture of the hilt of a sword that came and struck my eyebrow. Because of lack of practice from not being knocked out, I did black out. 

~ * ~

When I came to I was back in my room, and Gatti was ringing out a cloth, which I had anticipated was white once, but was now stained at pinkish-red kind of colour. I looked up to him.

"So, the ever-dangerous Tora has finally awoken." He said, a smile playing his mouth. I smiled back. "You know, everyone had thought that you had calmed down." He said as he dabbed the gash on my head. "You hadn't caused trouble for so long, we thought you had lost your fighting spirit." 

"I almost had. You people all started acting like I was suppose to be here, so I got used to it that way. But when I saw Marel, it was just as though I had never managed to get her out two months ago, that I still had to do it. I mean, I knew I had all ready done it, but it was as though I had to do it again, you know?" I asked. He just looked down at me quizzically. "No, I don't suppose you do." To which I laughed. "Give me that." I said, taking the rag from him in a playful manner and dabbing my scar as I sat up against the back of the bed.

"Dilandau-sama will be coming to see you soon." He said. He stood. "I thought you might like to know. You're the talk of the station. It was very exciting for all of us who had seen you fight to find out that you had done it again." He said, smiling. "Rest well Tora." He turned and left briskly, and for once in a long, long while, I heard the 'click' of the mettle lock being set in place. 

~ * ~

I had gone back to sleep after fixing my injury. I did, after all, have a terrible headache. Nothing I was used to of course, for I had gotten many from the beatings I'd received from both Dilandau and the other soldiers. But I hadn't had one for a while. I was sitting in my bed, wondering if Marel had made it out safely, when Dilandau came into my room. 

I was surprised at first, and jumped when the door suddenly opened. Usually they knocked before coming in. "Hello." He said simply.

"Hi." I responded. We hadn't really done too much couple-wise, as I'm sure most of the slayers thought we did. Just a hug to something here or there, but we never really sat down and cuddled or anything, which I was fine with, as Dilandau didn't seem like the kinda person who would do that. I knew I wasn't. "Did you see that Marel got out unharmed?" I asked. He nodded. 

"You know, everyone was talking about you." He said, coming and sitting on the foot of my bed. 

I nodded. "Yup, Gatti told me. I also noticed that he locked my door." I said.

Dilandau raised his eyebrows. "He did?" He asked. I nodded once more. "Hm." He said thoughtfully. "You must have scared Folken-sama a great deal in order for him to lock you into your room once more."

"Will you get into trouble for not getting me off of him?" I asked. 

Dilandau shook his head. "I told him that if I stepped any closer I was afraid that you would slit his throat." He shrugged. "The emperor wasn't too happy when he found out about your little spar." He said. 

I laughed. "Well, perhaps he should do something about it." I joked.

Dilandau suddenly got a very serious look on his face. "He did." He said. I felt my smile slip away. 

"He did?" I echoed. Dilandau nodded.

"He set you in a smaller room, with cameras, and limited time to speak with the slayers." He said.

"What?!" I asked, enraged. 

"He says that now that you know Marel is willing to help you escape your desire to get out will flair up again." Dilandau said. 

"But-!" I started, but Dilandau held up a hand and silenced me.

"I have to take you there now." He said. He stood and waited. I grumpily threw off my covers and stood before him, wrapping my arms around myself, as the air was cold compared to the warm softness of my covers. "Come on." He said, starting to lead the way.

I followed him down a couple corridors, until he stopped in front of a room, and opened the door. It was indeed much smaller then my room from before, which had contained a bed, a dresser, a closet, and a built-on bathroom. This only had room for a Bed, a closet (Formed into the wall) and my bathroom was half the size. It did however, have a window, which lead to a balcony. Not very big mind you, just enough for someone to stand on and breath some fresh air.

I looked to Dilandau. "I won't stay here." I said. I suppose that being in such a big room for so long had spoiled me to an extent. Dilandau raised an eyebrow. "I won't stay here!" I said again. 

"You have to." He said. 

"No!" I said. I looked around again, calming myself. It wasn't very big, but it had a cozy turn to it. I sighed and slumped to the bed I had made my way to. I dropped my hands onto my lap and looked at them. I glanced up at Dilandau, who was watching me, then back to my hands and spoke; "I wanted to kill him Dilandau." I said. I looked up at him again and held his gaze. "I was so close. I could have just slit his throat and have been done." I said. I looked back to my hands. "It scared me. I haven't hurt anyone in a while. I wasn't used to thoughts like that." I said. 

Dilandau came and took a seat next to me. I looked up at him, not knowing what I should expect. "He killed almost everything you hold dear. Anyone would have wanted him dead. Anyone would have killed him if they had your chance." He said. 

I felt my anger flair up towards him again. Yes. He had taken everything dear to me, accept Marel, which he nearly took as well. He deserved what I had stopped myself from doing. I felt my rage forming a new quest. I would kill Folken. I had always thought about it, but I didn't know. Now I did. I would kill Folken. My mind was made up. Nothing, not Dilandau, or Gatti, or even Miguel (whose nose was still working on healing by the way) could change my mind.

Pictures of my family flashed through my mind. I remembered our town. Maybe after he was dead I could go back with Marel and visit. But one thing was for sure. I would kill Folken, like he had made so many others; I would do what he had done to so many others; I would hurt him, like he had done to so many others. Yes I would. 

Authors Note: YAY! Aren't you all SO proud of me?! I FINALLY got another part up! I'm so sorry that it took so long too. I had a major case of writers block, not to mention I was working on about 3 other stories at the same time. And yes, I am aware the ending is very weak and corny, but it's about 1:30 in the morning and my creative juices aren't on a major dam-break here. I'm kind of more like a shallow river in Africa during the dry season. 

Didn't my grammar and everything get so much better though? I was so proud! Look at it! It's so beautiful! Anyway! As always, reviews are always much appreciated. ^_^ I have no idea where I'm going with this, so just bear with me people! Please? I know I'm planning to do something with Marel, but I'll shut up now because you're all still there! SO HA! Sorry there wasn't too much Tora*Dilly stuff in this one, I'll try and work on that. But, like I said, I'm tired. SO! I shall bid you all a very fond good night. Quel Undome!

Sephron/Tora/Artemis


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